Simple Gardening Ideas, Tips, Techniques For Beginners

Simple Gardening Ideas, Tips, Techniques for Beginners

Growing your plants in the garden is both fun and rewarding. All you need to get started is some planters, potting soil, seeds, and a little patience. Gardening means growing plants such as flowers, shrubs, and trees as a hobby or recreation. The successful small garden designs create the impression of a larger lawn by using simple tricks to their advantage. Gardening plants need delicately balanced conditions to thrive. These simple gardening tips and tricks are easy and affordable and will help you to get the best results this year.

Gardening is the practice of growing several plants, while some plants purify the air and improve the vibes. Most plants prefer between 6 and 10 hours of sun exposure per day. Small gardens have lots of advantages and the main advantage is the plants are wonderfully low-maintenance. The small gardens are less effort to maintain, less expensive to feed and control pests. In this article, we also discuss the below points;

How to start a garden
Steps to start gardening for beginners
Tips and simple ideas for starting gardening for beginners
How to make a garden beautiful in a small place
How do I design a small garden?
Small garden landscaping ideas
Simple gardening ideas on a budget
Simple gardening ideas for dummies

Simple Gardening Ideas, Tips and Techniques for Dummies

Choose a location to start your garden

First, find a sunny sheltered corner of the garden and set about making it a comfortable and welcoming place to sit and relax. If you’re making-over a corner of a backyard, start by painting the fence or wall. Then, plant some wall plants in containers or a border to soften the hard landscape and absorb the noise from the road or next door. Select plants that are scented to give you a more relaxing atmosphere, such as roses, honeysuckle, or sweet peas.
If you want to start growing vegetables in your garden you can even plant tomatoes, cucumbers, or peas against the wall if it gets a lot of sunshine.
Most fruits and vegetable plants need full sun, with a minimum of 5 hours of direct sunlight per day for fruiting. Think about how you will access the garden for picking, watering, and caring for garden plants.

Start your garden with good soil

Work in compost, manure, or dried peat moss for nutrient-rich planting beds for growing plants. Amended soil is lighter, drains well, makes for easy weeding, and allows plant roots to establish themselves more quickly.

Before you start building your garden beds or planting, you need to know something about garden soil. Most garden plants prefer soil with a pH around 7 (neutral), although some like slightly acidic conditions (potatoes, for instance) or slightly alkaline (brassicas). Balanced nutrient levels are important, as is the presence of organic matter. If this is your first year gardening, you have a few options obtainable to you. You can purchase and then add topsoil, compost, peat moss, and other amendments straight into new containers or garden beds. Your garden soil can be excessively wet, poor and infertile, or too acidic or alkaline. The solution to this problem is to add organic matter. Add about 2- to 3-inch layer of compost, decayed leaves, dry grass clippings, or old manure to the soil when you dig or till a new bed.

Give plants enough space

This is one of the simple gardening techniques and ideas for beginners. Leaving the right amount of space between plants is quite important as each plant needs a certain amount of room for its roots and leaves to maximize growth. Not only this but leaving enough air to circulate around and in between the plants helps to prevent diseases from spreading, especially in wet and humid weather. If you place young plants too close together, not all will survive or, if they do, they will require more frequent watering and fertilizer. Also, crowded plants are more susceptible to disease.

Avoid cheap potting mix

This is one of the simple gardening ideas for beginners. It is worth the investment to buy a premium quality potting mix for growing plants. Growing plants in containers need to get all their nutrients from a small amount of soil so it needs to be of high quality. Usually, a quality potting mix contains the sterile garden loam, sand, peat moss or coconut coir, and other additives.

Provide consistent watering and adequate drainage

This is one of the simple gardening ideas and very important for beginners. When planting in pots, be sure to pick ones with at least one hole. Most garden plants won’t want to have their roots dry for long periods in the heat or soaking in water for long periods. Regular watering is the key to growing plants and cutting down during the colder months.

Protect your garden with mulch

This is one of the simple gardening ideas and tips for beginners. To help keep weeds out and moisture in, cover the soil with a couple of inches of mulch in the garden. You won’t have to water as often, and by preventing sunlight from hitting the soil, you’ll prevent weed seeds from germinating process. Select from a wide variety of mulches, each with its benefits, including shredded bark, straw, and river rock. If you use organic mulch like bark, compost, or cocoa bean shells, it will nourish the soil as it decomposes. For perennial plants, use longer-lasting mulch such as bark chips.

Water your plants at the right time

This is one of the simple gardening ideas for beginners. The goal of watering your garden plants is to give them enough water to sustain but overwatering your plants can lead to waterlogging which can damage your plants. The best method to water your plants is slowly, allowing the water to reach deep into the soil. Ideally, the soil should get moist at about 3 to 4 inches beneath the surface. Plants at different stages of development also need different dosages of water. Young plants will need to be watered every day to encourage plant growth and healthy roots, whereas developed plants will need to be watered once every 2 to 3 days, depending on the weather conditions.

Pruning the plants

This is one of the simple gardening ideas for dummies. Although the task of trimming beautiful plants can be hard for gardeners to swallow, regular pruning keeps plants healthy and encourages new growth. But when to prune depends on the type of plant and the climate you stay in. For example, flowering and fruiting plants prefer to be cut back in late winter or early spring to spur a healthy crop. Trees and shrubs that bloom in the spring start setting new buds as soon as the old flowers have fallen, so it is crucial to prune before those new buds come in. And many plants need continual trimming to remain healthy.

Harvest and eat what you grow

Pick young will encourage more production. It is very important to know when the right time is to begin harvesting the garden plants. The best time to harvest your garden plants is early morning. This is because your plants are cooler and have higher water content and crisper texture than they do during the warmer part of the day.

Simple Garden Ideas for Beginners

Make your hanging basket

Using a high-quality potting mix is vital to growing plants in hanging baskets. Hanging baskets get watered; they tend to leach all the nutrients out of the soil much faster than regular containers. Just like when planting in the garden, you have to choose the right plants for the right spot. Not only do you want to pay attention to whether the basket will hang in sun or shade, but also note if it will be subject to drying winds, heavy rains, or excessive heat. The hanging basket is perfect for adding a splash of color to a small garden that is short on floor space.

Raised bed gardening

Raised bed gardens are one of the most productive ways to grow your plants. They give you better control over the soil conditions and allow for quick and easy harvesting of your plants. Raised beds can be simple or quite elaborate depending on requirements. Raised bed plants yield up to 4 times more than the same amount of space planted in rows. That’s due not only to their loose, fertile soil but also to efficient plant spacing. By using less space for paths, you have more room to grow your plants. In a raised bed, you keep outside weeds from garden soil, prevent water runoff, and worry about fewer slugs and snails, and other garden pests. Moreover, garden boxes allow you to concentrate your energy in a small area, meaning you can work, water, weed, and fertilize as economically as possible. You can make the most of the entire growing season by using season-extending devices like cold frames, cloches, row covers, and plastic tunnels, too.

Start small and also you can always add more. A “4 foot by 4 foot” raised bed is a good starting point for the garden. Aim for a depth between 12 and 18 inches and it is easy to construct, and you can grow a lot of food in this size space. One main benefit of raised beds is you do not use existing soil. Once you add the perfect mix of ingredients to the raised bed, you are ready to plant. To fill the bed, mix equal parts of;

Compost – use several different brands or make your compost.
Peat Moss or Coconut Coir – It makes soil lighter; helps with water retention.
Vermiculite – It helps retain water and allows the soil to breathe.

Vertical Gardening

Vertical gardening is a handy indoor gardening idea that doesn’t take up much space and can simply be adapted to your needs. This is perfect for an indoor herb garden. Also, it is perfect for blank walls or windows, and you can even go ahead and use the herbs for cooking.

Plan your garden beds

Once you know where you want your garden, decide on the size of the garden bed. Raised beds are attractive and make it easier to work in your garden, but they also dry out more quickly. In dry areas, sunken beds can be used to gather available moisture. Think about planting gardens in blocks or beds of plants instead of single rows. Garden beds must be 10 feet long or less, so you’re not tempted to step into the bed and compact the ground. Within the garden beds, place different plants in rows or a grid pattern. You add fertilizer and soil amendments to the planting area, which saves time and money. Work with companion plants to attract beneficial insects and improve plant yields.

Start small, and make sure to give each plant enough room to grow plants. The plant seeds and transplants are tiny, but full-grown plants can get huge. Overcrowded plants have difficulty thriving. Rectangular or square beds are the most common, but you’re limited by imagination and building skills. Most raised bed kits are rectangular, but you can also plant a garden in found items like old livestock water tanks or sections of the drain pipe.

Plants growing in containers

Growing plants in containers or pots are a perfect way of gardening and interest into a small garden, balcony, or terrace. Container gardening allows you to ring the changes year on year, alternative color themes, and different plant varieties. Use a container and basket compost which contains some fertilizer and water retention gel, saving on having to feed them and meaning that they will also survive a dry period for longer.

Container gardening is a great way to growing plants where there is little or no space. Almost any flower, vegetable, herb, the shrub can grow successfully in containers. Dwarf plants are best for small containers. Basil, Chives, Thyme, and other herbs also are quite happy growing in containers or pots. Whatever container you choose, drainage holes are necessary. Without proper drainage, the soil might become waterlogged and plants may die. The holes need not be large, but there should be enough space for the excess water to drain out. You will need to water your containers more than bedding plants, though, because the soil dries out quicker in pots.

Invest in basic garden tools

Basic gardening equipment includes gloves, pruning shears, garden fork, hand trowel, rake, garden hoe, scuffle hoe, a dirt rake, leaf rake, and garden shovel. Don’t buy cheap plastic garden tools if you can avoid it. Get garden tools that are the right size for you to reduce the risk of injury. Good tools will save time and effort. Keep garden tools clean and sharp, just like you should treat a good knife.

Plant what you like to eat

Best from seed – Carrots, Turnips, Radishes, Peas, Beans, Corn, Squash, Melons, Cucumbers, and Swiss chard.

Best from seedlings – Peppers, Tomatoes, and Brussels sprouts.

Successful either way – Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Kale, and Spinach.

Here are a few easy-to-grow plants for beginners;

Annual plants– Calendula, Geraniums, Impatiens, Marigolds, Sunflowers, and Zinnias

Perennials – Black-eyed Susans, Daylilies, Pansies, Purple Coneflowers, and Russian Sage

Vegetables – Cucumbers, Lettuce, Peppers, and Tomatoes

Set up a watering system

Plants also need water. How, when, and where you water your garden plants can critically impact their greenery and blooms. Consider winding a soaker hose between plants in a flower or vegetable bed to soak the soil slowly and deeply and ensure healthy plant growth. The amount of water a plant needs mainly depends on several factors, including the type of plant, its stage of growth, and type of soil, weather, and time of year. The best way to water your plants is by applying enough to moisten the plant’s entire root system, and then letting the soil dry out slightly before watering again. In many places, it can be necessary to water your garden regularly to keep plants happy.

Fertilize your plants regularly, but not too much

This is one of the simple gardening ideas for beginners. Most plants absorb nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, through their roots in the soil. Some plants get nutrients from nearby decaying leaves and twigs. It is good to fertilize plants regularly. Generally speaking, it’s better to under-fertilize rather than over-fertilize plants.

Keep pests and diseases away

Pests and diseases are attracted to damaged or unhealthy plants, so the key to preventive control is taking good care of garden plants. That means paying close attention to them and providing the conditions they need for healthy and vigorous growth. If you have selected healthy and well-nourished plants, your pest and disease problems should be lesser. If your garden plants get infected, chances are there’s an organic solution. It is easy to make up homemade bug spray for the yard and garden that use plant compounds and soap to knock out the bugs feasting on your plants. Mix up some neem oil, water, and a few drops of dish soap for eliminating some pests in the garden. Shake it well and spray it on plants once every 2 weeks to keep the pests away.

You should not miss this: Gardening Questions.