The lockdown restrictions imposed by our governments during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic saw us turning toward our gardens for a piece of sanity. Our gardens can be a great way to get outside and a great way to get familiar with nature again. Our lives can be so busy that usually, we do not have time to tend to our gardens, and rather, we allow them to fall into disrepair, and to become overgrown. It is very important, both for the value of your home and out of respect for nature that you keep your garden in good condition and regularly tend to the plants that are contained within it. This page will tell you how you can get started and get into gardening, and what you must prepare.
Tools
When you are first getting started in gardening, it is easy to become very confused by the sheer number of the tools that exist out there. Ensuring you are getting the right tools is absolutely essential. The tools that you will need are subject to what you are intending on doing in your garden – there are some tools, such as a spade and trawl, that are mandatory no matter what you are doing, but others are more specialized. The tools that you need can be found in most gardening centers or online gardening retailers. You should do research into what it is you need to do in your garden first so that you can buy the right tools. Never just blindly walk into a gardening center and start picking things up and taking them off of the shelves without good reason. You will lose money that way and will not be very efficient.
What Do You Want to Plant?
You should know exactly what you want to plant when you are going to get active in your garden. With the lockdown restrictions still being imposed and trips to the grocery store becoming riskier and riskier, many people are planting vegetable gardens so that they can live off of their own organic produce. Planting your own vegetable garden is a lot of fun and very rewarding, as is planting beautiful flowers and cultivating a verdant and lush garden in your backyard. Know what you want to plant from the offset. Don’t hesitate to learn more by checking out planter boxes that roll and move.
Clear Up
Pick the Spot
Once you have a garden clearing, you are nearly there. You will then want to find the best spot in your garden to grow plants. Ideally, the spot will need between six to eight hours of sunlight a day and will need to be wide enough for the plants to spread out. The spot should be away from foot traffic and preferably be in its own private corner that will not be interrupted by people, animals, or any form of wildlife. Try to fence off your spot to keep out wild animals.
Improve the Soil
You have your spot, you have your tools, you have a clearing, now you need soil. If your garden has been left ignored for many years, the likelihood is your soil will be of poor quality and will not be conducive to healthy plant growth. The solution to this is simple – dig down about two feet and fill the gaps with organic, decaying plant matter, like leaves and compost. Eventually, the matter will rot, and earthworms will help convert it to the soil. Once your soil is ready, you can put in some plants and get it to grow. And as we always say, Let’s have all those dead weeds gone!
Plant
Work the soil, then finally, you are ready to plant. Planting is as easy as putting in the seeds, covering them with soil, and watering regularly; providing you have followed all of the previous steps, you will begin to see plants sprouting within a few weeks. Enjoy your gardening and good luck!
Now, with the help of this page, you know how you can get started gardening with a few simple steps. Gardening is a lot of fun and a great way to get acquainted with the great outdoors.