Taking the Leap to Becoming a Gardening Beginner.

Do you look longingly at green and colourful front gardeners as you walk down the street? Maybe you would love to sit surrounded by heavenly scent on a summer evening. Or do you crave growing your own organic tomatoes and carrots?

Well you can! Because honestly, green fingers are developed and not something you are born with. Here are a few of my tips to build your gardening confidence.

1. Get to know your plot. By that I mean its character. Its restful areas, sunny aspects even its damp dark corners. Get out there and say hello. Once you know your space you can then pick plants that will thrive in the right place. So much easier to go with nature. You may even end up with your seating area is just the right place to enjoy your morning coffee.

2. Research plants and different types of gardens.

The internet is a good starting point. The RHS has a comprehensive and practical website including details of plants to suit different sites. Great for beginners. Get out and about visiting gardens. Not just the grand large gardens managed by national organisations with lots of staff, but domestic gardens on a personal scale. They are usually tended by homeowners who fell in love with gardening while being a beginner. Hundreds of gardens up and down the country open their gates under The National Garden Scheme, raising funds for a variety of charities.

The owners are always happy to share their knowledge, most importantly some offer tea and cake too. During your research ask yourself questions. How does this garden make me feel? Do I like cool colours or hot colours? And finally, a shout out to visiting small independent nurseries, they have passionate people working there with amazing plant knowledge.

3. Don’t buy plants on impulse. We’ve all done it, yes me too. Those plants usually become costly failures which undermine our gardening confidence.

4. Less is more. Keep things simple.

5. Its easy to become overwhelmed by the scale of the job in hand. Consider selecting one section of your garden to develop. An idea would be to select an area that is used regularly and can be observed often. You will then remember to tend to its needs. This could be around a doorway or your sunny spot with its welcoming bench. Thriving plants will build your confidence and enthusiasm to start on the next section of your garden.

6. Develop your gardener’s blind eye. No garden anywhere has the wow factor every day of the year. Be kind to yourself and focus on your successes, that may even include those pretty daisies in the lawn. This should also extend to your garden research on the internet. Moody back lit photos of stunning vistas are very alluring and good for research. however, most only look good for a month or so while a few plant combinations are in flower. Please don’t compare your loved plot, it will only undermine your confidence.

7. Slow things down. Gardens evolve over time so go with the seasonal flow. I have noticed one trait gardeners tend to share… patience.

8. Finally, but most importantly remember ‘It wants to grow’.

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