How to Start and Stick with Gardening

Anyone can grow their own food.

Gathering knowledge is a part of every gardener’s journey. However, this gathering of knowledge is not just 100% reading books and websites and asking other growers. It is about YOU becoming the expert of YOUR growing space.

I wrote this three part series because it’s exactly what I wish I had when I was first starting out as a gardener, all in one place.

You see, many articles I found at the time talked about “The Top 5 Easiest Vegetables to Grow” or how having healthy soil and strong plants meant you should never have a pest issue, and that led to some frustration on my end.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand where the authors were coming from because people aren’t going to be as likely to read “The Top 5 Easiest Vegetables to Grow if You Live in Maine and Also Have Soil That Has Been Amended By Experienced Growers for Years”. It’s just not as catchy.

However, there are so many variables in gardening that there isn’t a way of knowing which five vegetables will be the easiest for YOU to grow until you start trying. What if your soil is different? Or your climate? Or the location you first planted your seeds in actually needs more sun? And if you believe these are the easiest to grow and you don’t experience success, you’re more likely to give up than have the motivation to keep moving forward.

Instead, my goal is to empower YOU with the knowledge to succeed in YOUR space by knowing how to…

Part 1

Set the foundation and determine the best location.

You will start by thinking about your reason and setting a goal, so you don’t give up when the going gets tough. This foundation is the most important step. Additionally, you’ll learn the tools for determining the best location for YOUR growing space.

Part 2

Design and determine the best garden type for you and select the soil composition.

You will become the designer for your space, decide if you want raised beds, container gardens or something altogether different, and you will prepare the soil for your growing space.

Part 3

Select the right plants for the season, plan where to place them, plant! and observe your space.

You will dive deep into the world of fruit and vegetable gardening when you determine the right plants for the right time of year in your climate. You will learn how to space them, who to grow them next to and who not to place them with and you will…plant! Finally, you will learn what to take notes of as you walk around your garden and enjoy your new growing space.

Remember, you CAN grow your own food. You can increase the chances of experiencing more successes than failures, but in the end you can’t control everything that happens in your growing space.

One way gardeners can prepare for the challenges of gardening is by knowing that all gardeners make mistakes. Your mistakes will be your biggest teachers.

All gardeners, newbies and experienced alike, have to troubleshoot in the garden. I’m here to help equip you with the knowledge to do just that, starting with reflecting on YOUR why and ending with reflecting on your first growing season!