Your First Garden – A Basic Guide

Photo: Unsplash.com

Gardening is an age-old hobby that can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. Both young and old have found joy in the gentle tending of a garden, whether it be floral or veggie in nature (pun intended!).

There are several reasons for starting a garden – and as ZenBusiness points out, with more and more people working from home, there are more opportunities for healthy eating than ever before. Maybe gardening is a lockdown activity that you’ve come to love, or you’ve found a healthy and sustainable alternative to the grocery store.  Perhaps you’re looking for ways to increase the value of your home. 

Regardless of the reason for your interest in gardening, here are a few tips from Bite-Size Gardens to get you started with your first garden. 

Finding the Right Space

One of the first steps to starting a garden is deciding on the perfect location to plant a few seeds or roots. Consider what you would like to plant, and determine the section of your yard that can best meet your plants’ needs using these tips from TreeHugger.com. 

Chat to neighboring gardeners and see whether they have any tips to share about the sort of plant that best suits the region. Consider the amount of space that you have, how much sunshine it receives, and how you will access the patch for watering, picking, and caring for your plants. 

Research the Best Plants

Depending on the location, the local climate will vary and the garden will receive a predetermined amount of sunshine, rain, and wind. If you want the garden to be successful, then it’s important to consider various factors that will influence the growth. 

For example:

• Environment and various elements such as sunshine, rain, extreme seasons, etc.
• Size of the plant
• Amount of shade
• Flowering time
• Maintenance required
• Resistance to disease and parasites

It’s also worth considering your intention for gardening, as this will point you in certain directions. For example, you may want to grow veggies to serve at dinner time, or perhaps you prefer a rose garden to enjoy sitting in with your family. 

Clear the Area with the Help of Professionals

If you have a large yard, then you may be able to measure out the perfect patch and begin right away. However, most people will need to clear a bit of land to make space. Sometimes, this involves removing a tree stump or pruning a large tree. While it may be tempting to clear the space on your own, it’s highly recommended that you hire a professional tree removal service. Professionals will have the appropriate tools, gear, and equipment — and the know-how to use them safely. 

Plant the Foliage and Nurture the Environment

As you can see, there’s a lot of work that goes into preparing the environment for your garden. If you take the time and effort to properly prep, then the rest should be easy and fun. 

Compare costs from local nurseries for plants and basic tools. Prepare the garden beds, and plant the seeds or plants. Make sure that you’ve recorded the proper maintenance requirements and meet them. There are even gardening apps to help with the care process, like Smart Plant Home. Whether you need a calendar to stay on top of watering, help identifying diseases and pests plaguing your plants, or answers to the questions many novice gardeners have, downloading our app will help your garden bloom to its fullest potential.

In addition, you may need to invest in building your soil and fertilizer, and learn to strike the balance between overwatering and under-watering. With this in mind, keep a close eye on the rain forecast. 

Starting your first garden can seem like a daunting process. But with some planning, prep, and patience, even those who weren’t born without a green thumb can enjoy a lush, beautiful space.
To garden or not to garden is no longer the question. Bite-Size Gardens takes out the growing pains. We’d love to hear from you!

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Ideas on Beautifying Your Property . . .

Elevate Your Exterior And Increase Your Home’s Value

If you are planning to take advantage of today’s sellers market, you’re in luck. Homes are more in-demand than ever, and you can squeeze every last drop of value out of your property by simply prioritizing your outdoor spaces. Keep reading as today’s Bite-Sized Gardens blog shares a bit of advice.

Start with an evaluation.

Before you can decide what to do, you have to know what needs to be done. Even though you live in your house, you probably don’t walk around the entire exterior that often. Take a few minutes to actually walk your property. Start at the mailbox – flowers around the mailbox are a great first project – and make your way to the very end of the backyard. Look at the quality of your grass. Is it green and lush? Are there bare or brown spots left by your pets? 

Tidy it up.

No matter how well you tend your yard, you will probably find at least a few opportunities to tidy up. This might be something as simple as trimming the shrubs or mulching the flower beds. Or, you may find that a coat of paint is needed on the front door. Small updates such as these are easy to handle on your own and will pay off when it’s time to put your home on the market.

Go for native plants.

One of the most important things you can do when it’s time to look into landscaping is to invest in native plants. Low growing succulents, such as sedum, are a beautiful and low-maintenance option that will also serve to attract bees. There are many types of plants that grow naturally throughout the state that will make an exceptional addition to your lawn. Garden Design lists the canyon snow Iris, California Bush sunflower, shrubby monkeyflower, and hummingbird sage among these.

Plant trees.
Aside from increasing property values, there are many reasons that you should consider adding one or more trees to your property. Trees can help slow water runoff and prevent erosion, and they are also a smart way to reduce your energy costs while serving as a buffer for noise pollution, which is important if you live in the city.

Add flower boxes.

If you don’t have much of a lawn, but you would like to add color, flower boxes are the answer. You can make these on your own or buy them pre designed at your local hardware store. Keep in mind that flower boxes are essentially raised gardens, and you will need to water them more often than flowers grown in the ground.

Pressure wash hardscape features.

Hardscapes are the features of your exterior design that are made of things like rock, brick, and cement. Make a point to keep these clean when your home is on the market. One of the quickest and most efficient ways to remove dirt and grime build-up on the surfaces is to pressure wash them. If they are heavily soiled, TipTop Home Pros recommends using an environmentally-friendly detergent and then using sweeping back and forth motions.

Your home’s value is not determined merely by the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you have on the listing. It is also influenced by the perception that it is well cared for. Buyers do not want to move into a home that they think has been neglected. And, considering that your curb appeal is their first impression, it makes sense to prioritize your landscape. It isn’t difficult, and simple steps, such as planting native flowers and cleaning the walkway, will make a huge difference at listing time.