Tips on Gardening for Beginners will give you advice from those who have already been in the garden trenches and lived to tell the stories. These gardening ideas will help you ensure a productive growing season.
If you’re looking for more ideas on starting your own garden, How to Grow a Tea Garden and The Best Cottage Flowers to Grow will help you get started on your journey.
In one of my gardening groups, the question was asked – “What is your best advice to a beginning gardener?” The answers were brilliant.
Seasoned gardeners imparted their best tips and tricks to the question.
I thought my readers would love to know these gardening lessons for beginners. I put together the best answers for you in this post.
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”
Alfred Austin
Creating a Cozy Life Group
Since you found this article on Tips on Gardening for Beginners, I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life with over 118,000 like-minded souls.
It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug. Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.
Here are the Tips on Gardening for Beginners:
Planning Your Garden
1. Start with a small garden
If you’re anything like me, when you start a project you want to go big. It’s exciting to start something new, but gardening is a marathon.
Becoming overwhelmed is easy if you do too much at once. There’s a lot to learn to get the best results.
Spend a little more time planning out your garden, and start with one corner and see how that goes. Starting with a small space is a great way to learn without a lot of expenses and too much work.
2. One gardening project at a time
Start with one thing and become a master of it. Then move on to the next plan. You can begin with one raised bed and go from there.
3. Stick to a garden schedule
If you make a routine and follow it, you’ll obviously have more success. Check your plants regularly and water, mulch and feed them on schedule.
4. Don’t use chemicals
Learn organic gardening ideas to deter pests with companion plants and natural recipes for keeping pests at bay. You’ll also want to use organic matter to enrich your soil.
If you go the organic route, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful butterflies and bees.
5. Know your garden zone and what that means
Growing a garden has different rules, depending on where you live. Knowing what your garden zone is and what that means for your garden is starting your oasis on the right foot.
6. Learn from other gardeners
Find local gardening clubs and organizations near you. You can trade plants and seeds with members and absorb their collective wisdom.
I’m moving to a new state at the end of the year, one of the first things I’ve done in preparation for that move is to join the state’s gardening group board on Facebook.
I pop into the group every day, and I’m learning so much about the area already before I even go there!
7. Walk around your neighborhood
Get some fresh air and look at your neighborhood in a different light. Your new mission is to see what type of plants are doing well and to find out what garden look you like.
An extra bonus of this tactic is you can strike up conversations with your neighbors and gather more wisdom and even start new friendships.
Design Elements for Beginning Gardeners
8. Don’t expect a magazine cover garden immediately
Creating a beautiful garden takes time. Be patient. New gardeners sometimes want immediate results. Gardens are a work-of-art, they take time.
9. A small garden doesn’t have to be boring
You can create a themed garden, section your garden off into rooms, or even fill your space with container gardening.
Adding birdbaths, statuary, arbors, and lattice dividers can all add the “wow” factor to any garden.
10. Gardens are a constantly changing canvas
Your garden will evolve over time after you give your plants time to grow.
Just because your garden doesn’t look the way you want it right now, doesn’t mean it isn’t going to turn into an oasis that you’ll love.
Tools and Equipment for Beginning Gardeners
11. Always where gardening gloves
Your hands need protection. Wearing garden gloves is an essential step in gardening safety.
Make sure you purchase gardening gloves that fit your hands, avoid big, bulky garden gloves.
12. Buy the correct gardening tools
Find good-quality garden tools and take care of them. Decide how big of a garden you’ll be starting with, and then research the best tools for the job.
13. Buy a good quality garden stool
A garden stool is money well-invested. This purchase will help save your back and knees from wear and tear.
14. Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts
Protect yourself against ticks and mosquitos by covering yourself up.
15. Wear sunblock and a hat when you garden
Protect yourself from the sun. Getting a sunburn is easy when you’re distracted with so much to do in your garden.
Make sure you prepare before even heading out the door with sunblock and invest in a garden hat that becomes part of your “uniform” when you start digging.
16. Buy a book that goes through the gardening year month-by-month
A good resource like a monthly gardening to-do list is invaluable for such a low cost. It’s like having your own gardening coach to cheer you on your journey.
17. Buy good garden shoes
This is the fun part. You’ll love the choices they have now for gardening shoes and how comfortable they are.
It will be one of the best gardening purchase you make.
Amending Your Soil Gardening Tips
18. Build healthy gardening soil
The soil is where the magic happens. Make sure your soil is the perfect building block for creating your dream garden.
Take a soil test and amend the soil before you do anything else.
19. Mulch like crazy
Garden mulch is your friend. Use it.
20. Learn your garden fertilizers
Seaweed, fish emulsion, and worm juice are just some of the terms you’ll be learning on your new hobby.
21. Turn your kitchen waste into compost
Coffee grounds, egg shells, leftover fruits, and vegetables are no longer something you should throw away. They are pure gold for your garden.
22. Nourish your garden early in the morning
Watering and fertilizing should not happen in the middle of the day. You can burn your plants.
Early morning hours are the best time to water and fertilize your garden. NEVER water your plants in the hot sun! You’ll burn them.
Choosing the Right Plants for Beginning Gardening
23. Use native plants from your area
Native plants are easier to grow than other choices. Talk to your local garden center about native gardening ideas, and you’ll make your life way easier.
24. Don’t plant your plants too close together
Make sure you realize how large the plants and trees you pick will grow before planting. You don’t want to have to move things around after they’ve become established because they outgrew the space.
25. Start with inexpensive plants
You don’t want to spend a lot of money at the beginning of gardening until you realize what works and what doesn’t.
One of my most expensive lessons was all the rose trees I bought. I envisioned rose trees dotting my landscape, so I went overboard and bought ten pricey trees.
Not one of those trees survived a year. All my rose bushes did live. I still don’t know why they died, but I learned a very valuable lesson.
I saw what worked in my yard and planted more of those plants and bushes.
26. Be careful about the selection of trees you plant
Not only do you have to know how large the tree gets, but you also need to educate yourself on the root system of the tree.
You don’t want tree roots to cause damage to the foundation of your home. Remember that even a 30-foot tree was once a tiny sapling.
27. Learn about the benefits of planting ground cover
Ground cover protects the roots of your plants, aerates and fertilizes your soil, brings beneficial insects to your garden, and helps keep in the moisture.
28. Educate yourself on invasive plant species
Mint is an herb that will completely take over your garden if you plant it in the wrong place. Find out what plants are garden hogs and either plant them in an area all by themselves or put them in containers.
29. Pay your bills before going to the garden nursery
This was my favorite answer, hands down. Why? Because gardening is addicting and once you get started, you might have a real problem keeping your plant buying under control!
Tips on Planting Your Garden
30. Label all your garden plants
Over time you probably won’t remember what you planted, so take the time to label your plants.
Visitors to your garden will be guaranteed to ask what type of plants you have, so make it easy on yourself by labeling everything right out of the gate.
31. Group plants together that have the same nutritional and watering needs
Make things easy on yourself by saving yourself a few steps.
32. Plant the right plant in the correct spot
Each flower, bush or plant each has its own unique needs. If the plant needs full sun, believe it and place the plant accordingly.
Tips for Caring for Your Garden
33. Make sure you don’t overwater or underwater your plants
Finding the perfect balance to keeping your garden happy and healthy is a process.
Know the signs for each plant if they aren’t getting enough water or if they are getting too much water.
34. Keep a garden notebook
Keeping notes on what you plant and each one’s needs will make things easier. Starting a garden notebook can keep you on track.
35. Deadhead your garden plants frequently
When you deadhead your plants, you’re encouraging new growth. Read up on each plant and how you often you do this.
36. Remember that some plants go dormant
Just because a plant doesn’t show signs of life, doesn’t mean it’s dead. Find out if your plant goes dormant during the winter season before discarding the plant.
Low Cost Gardening Tips for Beginning Gardeners
37. Become a seed saver
Not only will you save money by saving your seeds, but you’ll also create an even closer bond with all of your plants because you’re part all the seasons of the plants.
Best Advice for Beginning Gardeners – Keep Going
38. Visit your garden every day
Enjoy the changes your garden will go through as your garden flourishes. Do everything with love and your garden will respond in kind.
You might even want to document the progress with photos. You’ll be happy you did once your skill set improves. There will be evidence that you too were once a beginner!
39. Be patient with your garden
Probably the number one response to the question was to be patient with gardening. Realize that killing a few plants is a normal part of the process, but the rewards outweigh the frustrations.
40. Watching gardening channels on YouTube
Gardeners’ World on YouTube was frequently mentioned as a favorite channel. It’s a simple way to learn what the easiest vegetables are to grow. Vegetable gardening will be easier to learn when you begin by learning step-by-step.
41. Never give up
Everything you do is a learning experience. It takes time to cover all the bases in gardening.
Not every flower will bloom. Try it again and again until you get it right.
42. Have fun
You’re going to have some wins and some losses, but learning is part of the fun. Know in advance this isn’t going to be a perfect experiment and you’ll be better off.
43. Gardening is never dull
There’s always something new to learn, which makes this a very interesting hobby. At the same time, it challenges you.
44. Experience all the seasons of your garden before making big plans
If you’re able to wait a year before making drastic changes to your yard, this would be a smart plan.
During that time, you would test and amend the soil, learn what the shade patterns of your garden are, and identify the plants you want to grow and what they require.
We’ve reached the end of Gardening for Beginners. I hope you enjoyed it.
Let me know in the comments below how you liked Tips on Gardening for Beginners.
Make sure you join our Creating a Cozy Life Group. You’re not going to believe how amazing it is.
Pin this post below on your garden board on Pinterest.
Thanks for stopping by. I’m so happy you found us!
More Related Herb Articles:
Other Garden Articles You’ll Love
- 31 Secrets to Growing Roses
- How to Keep Rabbits Out of Your Garden Naturally
- Starting a Victory Garden – How to Get Started
- How to Grow a Salsa Garden
- How to Save Marigold Seeds
- Best Garden Themes You’ll Love
- 7 Tips on Growing Hydrangeas
Israfil
Friday 26th of August 2022
Gardening for beginners is one of the most exciting times in a gardener's life. But it can be overwhelming and even frustrating when you are starting out. Here are some tips and tricks for gardening for beginners.
Tip #1 Get a good gardening book.
Getting a good gardening book is probably the best gardening tip for beginners. It will help you understand the basics of gardening and give you some great ideas for your garden.
Tip #2 Start small. Don't try to do too much too soon. Start with a small garden withmetal garden beds and work your way up. You will be able to learn as you go and you will be less likely to get frustrated.
Tip #3 Get some help. If you are having trouble getting started, ask a friend or neighbor for help. They may be able to give you some good gardening tips for beginners.
Tip #4 Don't be afraid to experiment. Gardening is all about trial and error. Don't be afraid to try new things. You may be surprised at what you can grow.
Tip #5 Have fun. Gardening should be fun. Don't get too stressed out about it.
Kathy Nichols
Thursday 24th of March 2022
Can you tell me what's the best way to grow vegetables when you got the clay dirt
Kelly
Thursday 24th of March 2022
Hello Kathy! Yes, raised gardens. I have the same soil too! You can do it in containers or raised beds. Kelly
Frank
Sunday 20th of June 2021
Thank you for sharing this article and the tips are easy to follow and understand. For a beginner like me, I can plant and make my own garden now. Thank you for these helpful tips.
GardenHubs
Tuesday 4th of August 2020
Hi buddy, Thanks for all the wonderful tips!! I always say I can’t grow anything. My husband had a garden last year but it really didn’t get all the work it needed. Hopefully with using some of your tips we can do better this year.
Kelly
Tuesday 4th of August 2020
You're very welcome. I'm so glad you liked them. Thanks for letting me know. Kelly