Gardening of any kind is good for you in multiple ways, and may even help improve your quality of life. There are multiple respected sources that detail the benefits of gardening from a healthier diet, reduced stress levels, improved exercise, to connection with nature (which in itself has many health benefits) and more. We will provide links at the bottom if you would like to read more into it. In this post we will explore questions that may come up as you begin your gardening journey. Let's begin!
So you want you grow...something. But what? This is the first question you need to answer: "What do I want to grow?". That answer may be "all the things!" But let's stay realistic, gardening is challenging at first and even the seasoned gardener can get overwhelmed if they don't plan correctly. Planning doesn't have to be in depth, but a general idea of what you would like to grown and would like to accomplish is the bare minimum you will need to do.
Start with research:
What zone do you live in? Check here: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
What kinds of plants thrive in your zone? A quick internet search for your zone + plants will give you a good place to start
Do you want to plant native, ornamental, or both?
Do you want flowers, vegetables, or both? This will determine the amount of sunlight you will need
Perennial or annual, or both? (What even is an annual vs. perennial?! -We cover that here)
How much space do you have?
How much sun, or shade, will you be working with within the space you have? Track your sunlight. Where does the sun rise/set and how many hours does a particular spot get?
How are you getting water? Watering takes a lot of time - do you have easy access to water, or can you set up a drip irrigation system?
Most importantly, how much time do you have?
Research, research, research! Determine what you are most interested in and start there, read anything you can about it, watch videos, go on Pinterest and Instagram to find inspiration and then you can start small.
Gather your tools:
You don't need a ton of tools to get started. To begin, you should have the following to make your life easier -
Shovel
Hand Pruner
Hand Hoe/Cultivator- Here is our favorite: https://www.homebyames.com/en-us/lawn-garden/garden-landscape-tools/hand-tools/specialty-hand-tools/1994800.html
5 Gal Bucket
Gardening gloves - we prefer the plastic coated cheap kind. They make gripping easier and are easy to replace when they wear out. Plus you can FEEL what you are doing unlike with heavier duty canvas gloves.
Action/Hula hoe- saves time on weeding if you practice traditional gardening methods
Your hands are your best tool so protecting them is important, but gloves aren't always needed. Sometimes it is great to feel the dirt between your fingers and to learn what your soil actually feels like. A shovel will make planting your plants infinitely easier when they are larger sized. A hander hoe/cultivator is a multifunctional tool that we use for digging, edging, weeding, and breaking up plants. They are relatively cheap (between $5 and $15 depending on where you go) but be sure to get one that feels heavy duty, they are excellent but if cheaply made will break easily. Hand pruners help make clean cuts when you need to trim back a broken or overgrown branch, harvest vegetables or cut down plants at the end of the season, we use these often in all kind of situations. A 5 gallon bucket is our go to for weed collection, making it easier to take weeds away to be tossed to the side to compost down.
Starting small:
We've all done it, we get excited about a new project and dive headfirst in with little consideration of the true commitment its going to take. Decide how much time you have to dedicate to gardening. Do you have a few hours a day, a few hours a week, or maybe even only a few hours per month? Do you want it to be relatively hands off?
Deciding where you would like your garden is more then looking for good soil (this can be fixed if there isn't) and how much sun you get. Ask yourself, is it in a spot where I can actually enjoy it, is it convenient for me to see and work in? If your vegetable garden is located waaay across your yard, it can get exhausting dragging hoses, and isn't as convenient as stepping out of your door and snipping the herbs and veggies you need for dinner. Knowing these key aspects will ultimately dictate what will succeed in your chosen spot. If your spot is shady most of the day, you will need shade loving plants, if its both sunny and shady, you may be able to grow a wide variety of plants, and over 6 hours of full sun you will need to work with more sun loving plants, or use that area as your vegetable garden space.
Check out your soil and test it. You can send a sample to your local Extension office - in Vermont you can go here :https://www.uvm.edu/extension/agricultural-and-environmental-testing-lab
The test will tell you a lot of information that will also help determine what will grow well, or what you need to add to modify the soil for the best possible health. Having well rotted compost on hand as well is good practice - you will be able to add healthy nutrients to your soil to feed your plants. You can also find ways to test your soil at home for some basic information such as how much of your ground is sand, silt, clay, or loam and roughly what percentages - such as with this mason jar test: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/soil-texture-analysis-the-jar-test/
Pick your plants:
Now for the fun part - planting your plants!
You've picked out your spot, you know your zone and how much sun the space gets. You've got an idea of what your soil is like and you've gone to the nursery and selected plants that fit your conditions. But how do you know how to plant them, how deep? How far apart?
Read your plant tags! They give you all the info you need such as how much sun, the zone and the mature size. When you first start planting read what the mature size is and be sure to plant with enough space between plants that allows for each to reach their full potential. This may be in 2 years or 10, every plant is going to be different. You can also plant willy nilly, and move things later on as you become more experienced and understand how the plants grow and spread. Most non-woody plants should be planted the same depth as their containers. For woody (i.e shrub/bushes/trees) you will need to identify the root flare (where the trunk flares out towards the bottom) and be sure to keep this above the soil while still keeping the roots buried. If you are unsure, nurseries are almost always happy to help answer any plant questions you may have.
The great thing about gardening is, there are endless ways to reach the same goal - to bring beauty and life to your yard. When you bring in flowers, shrubs, trees and other plants (especially native plants), you bring in food for wildlife, You will begin to see beneficial bugs that help fight off the bad bugs, more birds that eat those bugs, and more wildlife that enjoy the berries and the critters those plants bring in. Each year you learn what works and what does not, and you can add to your garden each year as space allows. You can move and replace plants, split and transplant or give away plants to neighbors, the possibilities are endless. As your garden grows, so will your knowledge and love for watching things you planted with your own hands develop and even nourish you. Don't give up, there will be good years and bad years, just like with anything else in life, but what matters is that you are trying and will succeed as you grow along with your plants. So, get a shovel and start digging!
~ Peace & Pants ~
Danielle
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