Gardening-Tips for beginners.

The foremost tip in this will be the most important. Find the hardiness zone of the local area. It can be found on the USDA website, and many other websites can also help identify local hardiness zones. The hardiness zone is a geographical zone defining certain climate conditions relevant to plant survival and growth. If a plant that thrives on sunshine and humidity finds itself in Alaska, it simply will not grow or survive. That is why it is the first and most important step.

Know what is involved.

Helen Lee Schifter, who thoroughly enjoys gardening, believes that any beginner entering into a new hobby or craft should also start small. When starting with a huge garden the first year, anyone would be overwhelmed. Starting small allows growth in the coming years, after knowing the challenges and obstacles of the first year. There is still plenty to work with and gives way to experiments and experience without spending too much money. Seedlings are a good way to start as starting seeds to a full plant can be an art of itself. Seedling or bedding plants are often the plants seen already sprouting at the garden centers. Just like in the tea ceremony Chado, rushing through is not the right way.

Time to plant.

Once the hardiness zone is identified and a decision has been made on size, it’s now time to decide on what is wanted to plant. Plants and seed packets have information on them about what zone they grow best in, so match that up with the local hardiness zone and they should thrive. Knowing the kind of soil the plants will be planted in is ideal. There is all kinds of local information on soil online. Soil can be improved with bags of gardening or planting soil, whether a gardening bed or pots are being used.

The location of the garden is also key. The garden should have enough sunlight. Most plants and vegetables require at least 6 hours of sun per day. A watering source should be close by. Having to convey water when the plants are thirsty can be a difficult task. With a hose or water supply nearby it can make quick work of watering the plants. A tell-tell sign of thirsty plants is having dry soil approximately one inch down from the top of the soil.

Patience

While practicing all the aforementioned tips a gardener must have patience. Chado, the ancient Japanese tea ceremony, is much like gardening. They are about the journey, not the destination. Helen Lee Schifter, a former wall street trader, once said on the topic of starting her career “My biggest mistake starting out was a sense of impatience”. This can be translated to gardening easily. Schifter has been studying for 8 years and is still seen as a beginner. Likewise, with gardening, it is a skill that developed over time. As a gardener gets more comfortable in his garden, the more they will see improvements.