Master Gardener’s Advice For Beginners
Edible Gardens · Paws&Tails · plants

Master Gardener’s Advice For Beginners

PlantsandBeyond

Everyone has the best intentions when it comes to their yard. We want it to look neat and festive, be a fun place to hang out, and all-around make it an enjoyable addition to the home. Here are my two cents of advice to any aspiring beginner gardener.

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  1. Going Too Big

Is it right to always be ambitious? Is it right to start driving the car without first learning how to drive? That is what I tell anyone when is requested to go above and beyond the baby steps of gardening. I advise not to start off with their grand ideas before they pass the tiny container maintenance test. So many times I have seen beginner gardeners go big, grow huge amounts of plants and then get discouraged by many affecting variables, seasons, weather and diseases. During the initial consultation, it’s noticeable and contagious how excited they get. Inquiring fellow gardeners say my enthusiasm is inspiring and they ask for mega-production of everything possible. Honestly, I say no. Until they prove themselves that they can water and take care of an assigned tiny space first, I will not move on. Sure other companies would make a lot of money, but it is just not ethical in my mind to give people a large project and then see them fail. Its too disappointing and I feel especially sad for poor plants! They are treated as babies in my heart and if the living intelligent beings become too much to stay on top of, for a beginner gardener, then there is going to be no progress.

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     2. Beginners Apathy

After all the enthusiasm and expectation settles in and new gardeners see the project through and have their new plantings settled, indifference happens. All is done, hard-working efforts are completed and there is not much else to do, but watch the plantings grow, right? With experience, I notice that some people are treating their gardening projects almost as a new shopping spree. Its sure is new and exciting and creates a lot of expectation and fun anticipation. However, once plants are in, some move on to other endeavors and leave the plants be. Daily check on them as a maintenance plan is a must. Not everyone does that. Moreover, they pass on the buck to their family members who sure don’t care and forget to even water the plants. Breaking the gardening goals in smaller pieces, setting a daily schedule to check on the garden and perhaps even writing it in your daily tasks to do would help your garden flourish. I tend to sent texts to aspiring gardeners as a reminder to do so.

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     3. Wild Creatures

Yes, the wildlife is clever, fast and knows how to survive. Animals absolutely will get into your garden and will take or eat your harvest, plants, seeds, leaves or flowers if you don’t pre-plan your garden’s protection. I strongly recommend installing the fence, I found a good visual example in www.bennersgardens.com.  It will serve as a huge deterrent to most animals. I do not see and have not experienced since installing a fence 12 years ago, any critters coming or climbing into my edible garden at all. It serves as a restraint and a blockage of wild life’s roaming tendencies and thus, they turn to easier food sources. Needless to say, the prevalence of ticks and their devastating health effects are minimized as well.

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It’s not easy always having a yard that looks and function exactly as we’d like, and indeed, sometimes matters are out of our hands. But at the very least, by taking baby steps and proper consideration of what is to come, will make the garden flourish and be the best that it can be, while you are still enthused and feel united with nature.

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Have a very green day everyone.

Until next time, dear friends.

Luda@PlantsandBeyond🌿

Photographs listed here do not belong to Luda @PlantsandBeyond.com

©PlantsandBeyond.com

 

Published by PlantsandBeyond

Green Plants Based Living and Gardening

33 thoughts on “Master Gardener’s Advice For Beginners”

  4. If animals come to eat from the labours of your love for gardening, then indeed a fence is a must. For years we have been gardening without a fence, until deer discovered that there was an easier way to eat. The word that there was plenty to eat spread quickly among the deer family. So the only solution was to build a fence. Good advice, Luda!

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    1. LOL. I guess my dear was starving. They discovered instantly. All my tomatoes were chewed up and some spit out across the veggie patch. I was so upset, but that is when the fence went up. Thank you so much, Peter, for sharing your experience! I will not garden without it ever again

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  11. I know how you feel about plants left to die. It is painful to see them die, especially when when they have been planted purposefully by a person. I knew someone who just threw whole plants into the dustbin if he didn’t want them. It drove me crazy, so I pulled them out and planted them in the hedgerow. Life is life!

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    1. Oh, She, thank you for sympathizing. I tell ya, it’s so hard, it stops me from adding on more vegetation due to such potential feelings. Well that someone is awful, to discard living beings like that. Thank you for saving this plants. Also, when I was a kid, I would walk by peoples appts just to find discarded plants and replant them in my home. So you and I are very much the same. Thank you for your kind comment, as always.

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      1. Yes, you and I are the same like that. I cannot understanding throwing living plants away like rubbish. It feels wrong. I understand how you feel. I love that you do the same. My partner think I have list a few screws!

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  15. You are speaking directly to me. I love that your advice is filled with encouragement as well as wisdom. Each time I come here I remember how much I always enjoyed having a small organic herb garden and a patio full of blooming plants. That was ten years ago, of course. When I became too ill to care for them…well…everything changed. No living thing is left in the bare annual beds or green house, and the stacked pots are empty – a constant sad reminder.

    But I keep coming back here, remembering how much joy gardening used to bring, and after much searching have found someone locally to help with some small projects. (!!!!) The first plan is to start with herbs by my kitchen door – just a few at first…..I will start small and treasure each small victory. Thank you for the good advice and many reminders that beauty surrounds us – and grows! 🙂

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