Gardening Newbie

[Magee]

Hello!! 🧑‍

I’m setting up this thread as a complete and utter newbie to gardening. I’ve lived in flats without garden access for over a decade, grew up with a back yard and now I’m about to buy my first home that has a garden. It’s a mixture of lawn, patio, decking, borders and a lot of gravel. I’m so looking forward to making it my own, giving it a go, making mistakes, learning and watching things (hopefully) bloom

What advice would you give to a total beginner? What’s the best gardening tip you can pass on? What basics are in your gardening tool kit? Anyone you follow on social media or watch on YouTube?

 

[~vix~83~]

I like a bit of gardening but don’t really know what I’m doing. We only have a front garden.
lavender in pots are a good start.

 

[Ruby’s mum]

If the basic layout is ok don’t make any drastic changes for the first year. That way you will have the full range of growing seasons to see what is actually in your garden plant wise as not everything will be visible at once. Keep a notebook and take photos of what comes up, how tall it is, colour, whether you like it or not, bare spots, overcrowded areas, etc. Also where the sun rises and sets, which are sunny spots and shady areas. There is a free plant finder app called Seek which is worth downloading if you don’t know many plants. Take your time, speak to other gardeners, look out for open garden events in your area, ask questions and enjoy!

 

[Magee]

If the basic layout is ok don’t make any drastic changes for the first year. That way you will have the full range of growing seasons to see what is actually in your garden plant wise as not everything will be visible at once. Keep a notebook and take photos of what comes up, how tall it is, colour, whether you like it or not, bare spots, overcrowded areas, etc. Also where the sun rises and sets, which are sunny spots and shady areas. There is a free plant finder app called Seek which is worth downloading if you don’t know many plants. Take your time, speak to other gardeners, look out for open garden events in your area, ask questions and enjoy!

Wow so many good tips! Looks like I’ll be a voyeur for the first summer 🥸 thank you x

 

[orangelolly]

I'm also a bit of a beginner gardener. We have lots of plants popping up now the weather is nicer but I don't know what half of them are and googling "purple flower" pulls up hundreds of results. Anyone know an app or website that makes this easier?

 

[bellinibobble]

You need to watch Gardeners World (BBC, available on iPlayer)! I inherited a big garden without a single plant in it and have spent the last two years totally revamping it, I’ve learnt all I need to know from Monty enjoy, it’s such satisfying work and really good for your mental health. I especially enjoy the jobs for the weekend section that tells you what to plant/prune at what time of year.

If you are looking for any summer plants for a pop of colour now I would recommend cosmos (cut flowers- trim them off for vases inside and loads more grow back) and night scented stocks - they smell amazing if you’re sat outside in the evening and I am going to plant some from seed in pots this year so I can move them about my decking area.

In terms of equipment I’ve always bought cheap stuff from B&Q or home bargains or b&m and they’ve all lasted years now.

Good luck!

 

[Justwishfulthinking]

I really love the idea of gardening but have no clue why I’m doing x

 

[LadyB65]

There’s an account on Instagram called gardenthirtythree she has a lot of good tips and highlights that she explains pretty well! I haven’t seen her do any ads, and I’m sure she has said that she turned down a new lawnmower so that she could buy her own and give an honest review, you might find her helpful

 

[Lulu Goss]

I moved from a flat to a house at the end of last year and finally getting to do a bit of gardening now the weather is nice! It was very overgrown and neglected but I’m enjoying transforming it.

We’ve just bought a selection of plants and flowers from b&q. Took a little while of walking round looking at what they all were/how big they grow etc (I haven’t got a clue ) but we now have eight planters of pretty flowers which has made a big difference.

I found the staff in b&q really helpful, they were happy to give me some advice on what flowers would be good and how many I’d need for the pots I bought.

I also bought some fairy lights that are now strung along my fences and a table and chairs set. That’s about as much as we’re going to do this year but it looks a lot better and is nice to sit out in now.

 

[MyJunk]

I am using the PictureThis app on my phone - brilliant - take a photo and it tells you everything about the plant - and identifies weeds - I think I will use it even if I don't do any gardening

 

[Giggling Squid]

I second monty don! I’ve learned everything I know from the man


If the garden is established though, I wouldn’t rush to do anything. See how it changes through the summer, keep note of what you like and don’t and where they are, where you want more/less. Keep an eye over the summer when you’re out and about and see what you like and then use the winter to plan spring changes

 

[Ruby’s mum]

I'm also a bit of a beginner gardener. We have lots of plants popping up now the weather is nicer but I don't know what half of them are and googling "purple flower" pulls up hundreds of results. Anyone know an app or website that makes this easier?

Seek is a basic but reasonably accurate free app. Once you have the name of the plant you can google for further information

 

[Purrrrrrr]

I am using the PictureThis app on my phone - brilliant - take a photo and it tells you everything about the plant - and identifies weeds - I think I will use it even if I don't do any gardening

I'm using this. although I am good with plants I have loads that people donated when my garden was getting a makeover and I have no idea what they are. this app tells you where it likes to be planted and how much water and sun, it even tells you if your plant has a problem and how to cure it.

 

[MyJunk]

I'm using this. although I am good with plants I have loads that people donated when my garden was getting a makeover and I have no idea what they are. this app tells you where it likes to be planted and how much water and sun, it even tells you if your plant has a problem and how to cure it.

An the added extras - a verse of relevant poetry and the note on symbolism

 

[Magee]

So many fab tips here, can’t wait to get started!! I’m lucky that the garden isn’t established, it has lawn and all of the borders have been filled in with gravel! A clean slate

 

[hypoharpy]

You tube have loads of gardening videos for beginners. Gardeners from Asia are great because they do a lot of creative recycling and use household items - I've learned a lot from them.Your local library will have lots of gardening books which you might find useful.Dont be afraid to ask other gardeners either. Most people are happy to help.

 

[Magee]

A little update for you all ahead of everyone’s favourite double bank holiday weekend..

- I’ve bought a water butt to install
- I have compost being delivered from the local farmer (much cheaper than buying tonne bags online although there may be a rogue potato here and there)
- Purchased decent tools slowly and all with lifetime guarantees!
- Sweet peas and cosmos are growing nicely ready to plant out
- Huge box of wildflower seeds ready to go, I’m going to sprinkle in the borders and leave to grow wild for now
- Bought dahlia tubers to test growing in a pot. Never grown them but thought I’d trial them as I love the colours and impact of them! A huge learning curve and trial and error ahead. Going to make notes and take photos too.

A huge task of digging up gravel ahead of me but I’m sure it’ll be well worth it. I’m sick of the sight of the gravel! The garden needs a good clean, repainting fences, sorting through endless pots and items left behind by the previous owner.

Already dreaming of that glass of chilled white wine in the late summer reaping my reward…

 

[trancejunkie]

Pinterest is full of "easy gardening" boards or "garden makeovers" which always inspire me

Depending on the type of soil you have in your garden and the size of it, you might find it easier to start out with little clusters of pots here and there. Then you can move them around according to season etc.

Try to spend wisely on tools. I always look out for end of season bargains at places like Homebase and B&Q - you can often find tools half price (or less!) as well as pots and garden ornaments.

Facebook Marketplace is a good place to pick up bargains too.

Look out for a local "plant and seed swap" group, you'll find loads of helpful experienced gardeners are just bursting to help newbies and you can make some new friends as a bonus.

Try to make a little area where you can sit and have a cuppa/glass of whatever - you'll swiftly learn to really appreciate this and it will inspire you to surround that area with colourful plants.

Good luck! My garden is my sanctuary and I honestly don't think I would have got through the last 2+ years without it.

 

[YetAnotherObsessionx]

How exciting! I'm also a gardening newbie - although my garden is actually an allotment. I found sooo many tips on Instagram, the main thing was to not rush, wait to see what's already there, and then when you know what's already growing, and whether you want to keep it or not, then plan ahead for next year. Don't spend loads of money on plants, buy seeds instead. Don't underrate pots and containers. There's an account called Rose Press Garden which is so good for tips and inspiration.

My personal favourite thing was to get raised beds. I put an ad on my local Nextdoor app asking if anybody had any spare wood, I got a load of free fence panels from a neighbour who had taken it down, and then I looked up some instructions on how to build a raised bed on Google. It was so cheap, I only had to buy some screws! I painted it, and this year they're gonna be full of flowers. And yes, sweet peas are brilliant.

Good luck with your gardening, you're going to love it!

 

[freshhead]

Does anyone know or have any tricks on how to stop the sun bleaching cantilever parasols? The one I had last year bleached within a few weeks of being open in the sun - have just bought a new one and don’t want the same happening again! Does already have a cover for when it’s down.