Top Tips For Beginning Gardeners
 (Read 500+ times)
By Glory Lennon
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Arguably the biggest barrier preventing the average person from starting a garden is confusion. There is so much information available, perhaps too much, and it can befuddle the mind. There are unfamiliar terms, confusing jargon and Latin names all designed to confuse.
No wonder there’s a tendency for the beginning gardener to feel overwhelmed. When too much information clouds the brain we’re more likely to throw in the trowel, toss that pack of seeds out the window, ditch the pretty garden gloves brought just for the occasion and put up our hands in dismay.
Who needs the aggravation? Certainly not you. Gardening was supposed to be good for your health after all and all this stuff is causing you more stress than what you had before. What good is that? Giving up, however, is the very worst thing you could do. You would be depriving yourself of an enjoyable, lifelong hobby with many a benefit, all that irritating Latin mumbo-jumbo notwithstanding.
First thing to remember is that if a child of mentally subnormal intelligence can grow a Marigold in a tiny half-pint milk container with a bit of help shouldn’t you be able to do at least that much? Well, then, start there and the rest should come to you with the mere observation of nature. To help you along, here are a few of the more important things you should know for gardening success.
Know Your Zone
The United States Department of Agriculture created a colorful and rather useful map to show us the average cold temperatures to expect all over North America. This helps us, once we know in which zone we reside, to correctly pick those plants which will survive the winter in our particular region. To learn your Zone go to http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html.
Compost Fixes All Evils.
All right, that’s an exaggeration but compost will go a long way to making whatever kind of soil you have much better and it’s free. Compost is merely your lawn clippings, autumn leaves, none-animal-product kitchen scraps and all other types of organic material piled together to allow the natural process of decomposition. The end product is nutrient-rich compost which every experienced gardener calls “Black gold”. Use this wonderful stuff on flower beds, vegetable gardens, lawns and even in potted plants and you won’t need artificial means to make your plants thrive.
Start Small.
If this is your first attempt at a flower or vegetable garden start with only a few plants just to get the hang of things. Once you feel more confident and comfortable with the caring of them add a few others keeping in mind to only have as big a garden as you can easily handle. Any more than that becomes work. There is no apology necessary if all you can handle is a pot of culinary herbs growing on a windowsill. And yes, that is considered gardening, too.
Get An Experienced Garden Buddy.
The garden buddy can impart all manner of wisdom with the added bonus that they will undoubtedly have a garden of their own overflowing with plants and will love to give you free plants with instructions on how to grow them properly.
Know Your Last Frost Date.
Unless you live in the tropics the Last Frost Date will be very important. It will tell you when you can safely plant the tenderest of annual plants out in the garden with a decreased chance that they all die from a late killing frost. If you live in a place notorious for the late spring freak snow storm add two weeks to the date and you’ll be safer still. To learn of your Last Frost Date go to http://www.almanac.com/garden/frostus.php.
Mulch Everything.
Mulch is simply a cover around plants which helps retain moisture in the soil, keeps root temperatures constant, suppresses weeds and keeps plants clean, especially good for vegetables. Mulch can be decorative stones, marsh hay, autumn leaves, lawn clippings, shredded bark, cocoa bean hulls, sea shells or even low-growing plants and ground-covers.
The wise gardener will use that which is readily available. The seashore garden can be mulched with dried seaweed, plentiful and free to anyone walking the beach. The garden surrounded by woods may have mounds of dried leaves free for the taking and the garden bordering a farm could have hay or composted cow manure just for the asking. The added benefit of the organic mulch is that they decompose with time and add nutrients to the soil.
Buy Quality Not Quantity.
While it would be great to fill our flower beds with lovely, already established plants these can be costly. But going the cheap route can backfire and end up costing you more. Those plants you see on the bargain shelf at the garden center are far more likely to be stressed and the stressed plant is more susceptible to diseases and insect infestations. When brought to your garden these “bargains” can cause all your healthy plants to fall sick too. There goes your bargain. If money is tight, go for seeds and see if that doesn’t give you more of a thrill to see something beautiful come from something so tiny.
Read The Label.
All plants, if sold at reputable places, come with a label with important information for its proper care. Sunlight requirements, water needs, soil preference and its height and spread at maturity should all be clearly written. Make certain you read these before you buy. The plant which needs 6 solid hours of sun won’t like being planted in the shade of a weeping willow. A plant liking alkaline soil will die in an acidic pine grove. The plant requiring a dry, light soil won’t he happy in a swamp. The right place for the right plant will ensure your money won’t go to waste.
Following these few simple tips will help make your gardening experience less stressful and more enjoyable. The most important thing to remember is gardening isn’t brain surgery nor will the world fall apart if your first tomato plant shrivels up and dies. Just try again and do have fun. It really is worth it.
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 Visit http://www.helium.com/users/32782 for more fascinating gardening lessons, amusing short stories and intriguing novel excerpts.
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