Gardening Tips for Beginning Gardeners

If you are a beginning gardener, don't be afraid to delve right in, as it isn’t meant to be difficult. Once you feel the connection, you’ll be hooked on gardening. If you don't know how to start, there is always an avenue of knowledge for you: gardening neighbors or friends, gardening books and gardening magazines to read, watch for new gardening trends, and the Internet to browse for more information. 

English: old books in Château de Breteuil, France (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At one time, it seemed gardening only appealed to the older folks. But nowadays, people of all ages, children, young adults, adults, and older folks alike enjoy gardening. They see gardening as a refreshing and rewarding hobby. With all the benefits that you get, being a busy, working person should never be used as a hindrance to start growing your own plants indoors or outdoors. You will see the big difference when you get to reap your own fruits of labor.

Would you enjoy a bed of beautiful, colorful flowers, a country garden full of wild flowers and shrubs, manicured lawn strategically placed with shrubs and trees, or just a simple backyard with lots of pots and containers filled with amazing plants? It’s all within your reach to have.  Learn the basics of landscape design.

For a starter, you will need these basic tools: trowel, spade, lawnmower, rake, and plants of your choice to grow. It would help a lot if you have a garden plan based on the space that is available. It will not be difficult to place flowerbeds, lawns, or paths. 

The kinds of garden plants that you will grow will depend on what you want, the availability, and the climate of your location. There are plants that grow only for the season, called annuals, and there are others that can be cultivated to grow year after year, often referred to as perennial. If you consider yourself a hobby gardener, then you would want to have plants that do not grow more than a few seasons. These are perennial plants that allow you to tend to things other than gardening.

If you don't know what plants to start growing, you can always ask assistance from your online plant nursery. The expert staff will know what plants will thrive specifically considering the climate in your area. Also, you can use the Greenwood Nursery Plant Finder online to narrow down your plant search.

The small young plants are great choice if you want to have an automatic decorative display on your garden. 

Smaller, younger plants are easier to plant and require less watering and care to get growing than larger container plants do.

Gardening should be this fun and exciting, and, of course, rewarding, even if you are a beginner. Ready for more? 

Here is a free online gardening course courtesy of BBC Gardener's World. Learn at your own pace.

Learn the basics of landscape design to understand placement of plants and how they are used. 

Gardening Tips for Beginning Gardeners by Greenwood Nursery.

Tips for Landscaping Basics - How to Landscape Your New Home

These tips for landscaping your new home will provide you with the landscaping basics that you need to get started. Whether you are a first time homeowner, own a new home or a new to you home, landscaping is often one of the most daunting tasks for a homeowner. Follow these steps to make your landscape project a success.

If your home is a new construction, then you may have a blank canvas to work with on landscaping. Should your new home be an existing one, keep in mind that foundation plants in landscapes generally need to be replaced every 12 to 15 years to keep them fresh looking and keep from getting overgrown. Smaller perennials and ornamental grasses will vary in their lifespan anywhere from 3 years to permanent fixtures. It really depends on the plant variety as it can vary.

For new home construction landscaping, start with foundation plants and lawn area. To keep year around color and texture, plant at least 50% of the foundation plants in evergreen shrubs. Then, blend in smaller sized flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennials. Use plants that bloom at different times of the year to create interest in all seasons.

The main rule for planting trees in the landscape is to plant them at least as far away from the foundation as they will grow in height. For example, a red bud tree generally matures around 20 feet tall, so it should be planted no closer to the house than 20 feet. One can fudge a little, but over the long term, the root system from trees can seriously damage the foundation of the home.

As a new homeowner, it is exciting to begin your plan for landscaping your property. However, whether the house is new or new to you, it is highly recommended to live in the house at least one full year before beginning any major projects. A complete year will show you how the house and property react during the seasons, such as drainage, lighting, privacy and other potential problems as well as showing you how specific areas are being used by you and your family.

Keeping a journal to record the seasonal changes of the property along with pictures and articles of plants or landscapes will be invaluable to you as you begin your landscape project.

Factors to look at in planning your landscape:

Budget

How property/areas are used

Style of house

Existing hardscaping

Outdoor lighting

Foundation plants

Extensive plantings (beyond foundation)

These factors are also what a landscape architect will ask you to consider.

Once you learn the basics of landscape design, you will be able to design your own backyard, place foundation plantings, and plan for gardens and activities.

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Cheryl Jones writes articles on plants, plant care, gardening tips and landscaping ideas. Read the complete Basics of Landscape Design Her website, GreenwoodNursery.com, offers a great selection of plants including nut trees, flowering shrubs, evergreen ground covers, flowering perennials, small fruiting plants, lavender plants, red twig dogwood, and Thjua Green Giants.