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Very Beginner to gardening... any advice appreciated!!!
Hi All,
I recently purchased a home and in the backyard there is a lot of pots/soil/some flowers were growing in the summer but overall it is a mess and I have no idea where to start on how to make my own little garden. I would want to clean what the previous owners had (but not sure if I should throw everything out that they have and start new or just get some new soil)but I also want to have something else besides flowers (possibly herbs, maybe tomatoes, nothing big as there is not a lot of space) but I have absolutely no idea where and how to start.
If anyone can give me some advise or refer me to a place where I can read.. I am wondering if I need to plant stuff now in the fall or wait till spring? When do I water plants, how often? I noticed in supermarkets they sell little packets of stuff (flowers, seeds, herbs) is that any good? If someone can just break it down in terms of how basic gardening works (buy soil, put it in and then just put seeds in? or when they sell flowers/herbs already in little pots - do I leave stuff in those pots or plant it in the ground?) sorry for all the rambling but any beginner advice would be greatly appreciated! TIA!!
Re: Very Beginner to gardening... any advice appreciated!!!
"Learn to Garden," by Fiona Wild is a very good book with basics for a beginning gardener.
If you just now moved into the house, it may also be helpful to wait a year and see what blooms to see what you like and what you don't. All of the plantings may not be apparent now -- or even if you moved in mid-summer.
I am pretty new to gardening too and I have found that buying small plants (called "starts") works well for me. I usually buy a bunch on Mother's Day and repot them in bagged container soil in largish pots on my balcony.
Each plant is different so some plants do well in my space and some do poorly. For example, I had a hard time growing basil and tomatoes and I think it is because I didn't have enough sun. Rosemary, thyme, mint, chives and parsley thrived. We just moved so I'll have to figure things out all over again. :-)
My advice is to start small. Buy 1 tomato, not 10, so that if they all die you aren't out all that money. Do a small area like the patio next summer and expand as you figure out what plants work for you. Containers are really convenient to work with and they look tidy. Walk around your neighborhood and note what plants are growing.
double ditto this. By all means, pull up obvious weeds now and take out any mature plants that are unhealthy/dead and maybe mulch. But wait for a massive re-do until you get a feel for the sun situation, how you use your yard, and how much time you want to devote to maintance.
applecider has good idea with starting with container gardens while you're figuring things out, especially with edibles. That way if you put something in a place that you think gets full sun & it doesn't, you can just move it to a part of the yard that does.
Master gardeners are a great resource as are a good nursery (not HD or Lowes).