Is your New Year’s Resolution to finally become a green thumb and learn how to properly care for and maintain your garden? We’ve put together some of our top gardening tips for beginner that won’t make the task seem too overwhelming or daunting.
At Everlast Services, we’re experts when it comes to landscape design and garden makeovers, but we also understand that everyone has to start somewhere. There are so many benefits and reasons as to why you should get into it: it’s great for your physical health to be outdoors and staying active, gardening has been proven to be great for your mental health, it’s a gratifying hobby, and it can even be cost effective if you grow your own fruit and vegetables.
Here are some basic gardening tips to keep in mind that will make the beginning of your gardening journey a lot smoother and easier.
Equipment
Before you start gardening, it’s important that you have the correct equipment and tools to be able to make your landscaping dreams a reality. Every gardener should have the following things in their shed.
Gloves
To protect yourselves from prickly thorns or splinters, gloves are an essential part of any gardener’s toolkit. Ensure that your gloves fit properly because ill-fitting gloves can cause blisters or accidents if they were to slip off.
Pruning Shears
There are two types of pruning shears: anvil and bypass. Anvil are best suited for deadwood and bypass are better for live plants and green wood.
Hand Trowel
A hand trowel is essential for being able to transplant bedding plants and herbs, planting containers and removing weeds.
Spade
Spades are used for digging holes, edging, lifting sod and moving small amounts of soil. Opt for a stainless-steel head as they are strong and won’t rust.
Rake
A rake will help you to keep your yard tidy even when leaves start to fall in autumn. You can then turn these leaves into mulch and feed your garden.
Garden Hose with Adjustable Nozzle
A garden hose is basically the fountain of life when it comes to your garden. Make sure that the hose you choose is long enough to reach the farthest points of your garden and that you store it coiled up and out of direct sunlight.
Wheelbarrow
If you’re planning on moving large amounts of soil, compost or mulch around your garden, or have any other heavy lifting project in mind, a wheelbarrow can take off a lot of the strain this kind of work requires.
What to Plant
Some plants are a lot easier to look after than others and so are perfect for beginner gardeners. Just remember, not all plants are suited to all environments, so make sure you take into consideration your own garden’s specifications, including the soil type, the amount of shade and the local climate. Here are our gardening tips on what to plant.
Murraya
These beautiful shrubs produce small, white flowers which give off a beautiful fragrance. They can be pruned to be any shape or size and so are perfect for practically any garden. They can thrive in part-shade or sunny spots and, while they prefer moisture, can also tolerate dry periods.
Hydrangea
The hydrangea shrub produces stunning flowers which will brighten your garden throughout summer. The best part about them is that the pruning process is very simple; just hack them down to the ground in late winter or early spring.
Clumping Bamboos
Bamboo is famously fast-growing and clumping bamboos, when properly looked after, can often reach their full height in 18 months. They’re perfect for screening and hedging, and are also available in different heights for different uses.
Have a Plan
One of the most important parts of gardening is creating a plan and sticking to it. This can be useful for a variety of reasons.
Irrigation
Having an irrigation plan can drastically reduce the amount of water you waste while also ensuring that the plants that need the most water get it so that they are able to thrive. The most common types of irrigation systems are drip irrigation and sprinkler systems. The one that you choose will depend on your budget and the kind of garden you have.
Avoid Crowding
When first planting your garden, it’s likely you’ll be starting with seeds or small cuttings. When you’re a beginner, it’s easy to be overzealous and want to plant as much as possible in as little space as possible; but as your plants begin to grow, this will cause a lot of issues. Avoid crowding by sketching out a rough plan of your yard and plotting out which plants you want where, ensuring that you also research the height they reach so you don’t plant taller species in front of shorter ones.
Need More Gardening Tips?
If just looking at your backyard and seeing all the work you have to do fills you with dread, it might be a good idea to hire some professional help to get you started on the right track. Even the best gardening tips can only take you so far! Everlast Services can give your garden the ultimate makeover. Contact us today for a free measure and quote.
