Starting a garden can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. Gardening should be a fun activity, not something that stresses you out. So if you are considering starting your own garden, here are a few basic gardening tips for beginners to keep it enjoyable:

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Basic Gardening Tips

Start small

One of the best things you can do is to start small. Pick a few herbs (which are pretty hardy and low maintenance) or easy-to-maintain flowers. Some good choices for beginners include sunflowers, sweet peas, and marigolds.

Have a plan

Take a few minutes to decide how much time you want or have to devote to your garden. If you don’t intend to spend hours in the yard, choose a smaller plot or consider planting boxes to make taking care of your garden a snap. Having a plan will keep you from getting overwhelmed.

Know your climate

One of the most important parts of planting a successful garden, is knowing what type of plants grow best in your area. You will feel much less frustrated if you have a basic understanding of what type of plants will be most successful in your yard. This tool by the USDA can help you determine which plants will be easiest for you to grow.

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Consider your space

Your yard or planting space will also determine what you can plant. If you don’t have a lot of shade, you will need to choose plants or flowers that are more tolerant to direct sunlight. If you have more shade, choose plants that grow well in shady areas.

Get the tools

If you plan to spend a lot of time in your garden, make sure you have the right tools. A sturdy pair of gardening gloves will protect your hands and light-weight, long-sleeved shirts will help keep the sun at bay. At minimum you should also have a hand shovel and gardening scissors to make pruning a little easier.

Research

There are a lot of websites and books that offer helpful tips to improve your garden. Don’t be shy about asking questions. Most gardeners are more than happy to give you a few helpful tips! There are a lot of resources available to make gardening a lot easier to start!

The most important thing is to have fun! Start simple to learn the basics and as you have success with your starter plants, you’ll gain more confidence to expand your garden.

Source: Gracious Gardening