Spring has sprung! Which means I almost sprinted to Lowes to get all the materials I needed this weekend to (literally) weed out my yard and plant some flowers and herbs. Gardening is just one of the many things I grew to love when my husband was deployed last year. So, I thought it may be helpful to pass on my (limited) knowledge to those of you looking for a new activity that will allow you to enjoy the beautiful spring and summer weather. I will preface my Gardening 101 tips by telling you I still rate a novice. So, if you have more useful advice for beginning gardeners, please leave us a comment and offer a link. We’d love to check it out. Until then, here’s a few things you need to know to start planting to perfection.
1. Size doesn’t matter.
Last year, when I got started, I lived in a condo with a small screened-in and covered patio. I went to Lowes during an off-peak time (like, Tuesday after work) and found a helpful associate in the Garden Center. I told her what I had to work with as far as space and exposure to sunlight. She helped me to pick out the pots, soil and herbs I needed to get started. This year I have a yard, so I could go nuts taking what I learned last year and applying it over a much larger area. Another special shout out to Lowes: Save your receipts and if you kill your plants you can return and replace them.
- Flower box before Lowes
2. Be practical.
Beginning gardeners must be practical. Just think – if you start off trying to grow a rose bush and you end up killing it, you won’t be too keen to get back on the horse and try again. So when you are at the Garden Center, tell the associate that you are a beginner and you need to start growing things that don’t require a lot of expertise. Herbs are fantastic and will do well on a porch, out of direct sunlight. If you want a flower, I recommend Impatients. Just keep them well watered.
3. Look for shortcuts.
The best advice my dad every gave me was, “work smart, not hard,” and I apply it to everything I do. Especially when I’m a beginner. That means, stay out of the seed section at the Garden Center. But the starter herbs in the peat pots. Add a little potting soil to the bottom of your clay pot (Sta-Green’s Moisture Max works great for me), rip off the end of the peat pot and simply fill in the clay pot around the plant with the fresh soil. Be sure to pack the soil in tightly and water well. For flowers – if you pick out some large, decorative planters, simply buy the hanging annuals in plastic pots (these are your Impatients). These are very affordable and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel by re-potting.
- Basil in a “Grow Your Own” peat pot, made easy for planting
4. Be well equipped.
Some of the basics you need right off the bat include gardening gloves (opt for the cheap ones, they will just get filthy), a watering can (or a sprinkling hose attachment if you have a large yard), a kneeling pad and scissors.
Flower box after a day in the garden
5. Have fun!
I love lathering on the sunscreen, plugging in my iPod boombox outside, grabbing a beer and spending a beautiful day outside gardening. If you don’t feel the same, or if it feels like work, maybe it’s not the hobby for you. And finally, I will tell you that it is the most fun to have a helpful apprentice by your side (in my case, my Yorkie, Peter Parker).
- Peter Parker, gardening apprentice, checking out my basil
