With the whole quarantine going on and the fact that our mental health has never been as threatened as before (at least, on this level of reach), finding ways to cope with the loneliness of social distancing as well as the problems that arrived with the pandemic, gardening has started to gain a lot of popularity!
Compared to owning a pet and even meditating, gardening has been scientifically proven to improve our health in many ways. Mentally speaking it can calm down conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression, through the act of caring for something and seeing it grow with your own effort. In a way, it shows you that your efforts bring results, in a very calm, personal way.
Physically speaking, depending on the amount of effort you put into caring for the garden, it might bring you to perform at least the bare minimum of physical activity for your body to become healthier, and it might lead you to get the minimum amount of sunlight to get your daily intake of Vitamin D, which comes from the sun.
Overall, it is a very calming practice that can change your life for the better. But… How does a beginner enter the world of gardening without messing up? There are steps you should follow to get experience and try new things.
Gardening with Beginner Plants
I would say that one of the most important aspects of gardening as a beginner is picking the right plants. Believe it or not, plants vary immensely between each other, each one with its own properties to deal with. Beginner plants are mostly easy to deal with because of how easy it is to take care of them, and they will prepare for your what is to come.
The best plants to start with as a newcomer are definitely vegetables and herbs since they have the most reliable rate of success among all the plants you can go for. Basil, cilantro, tomatoes, and cucumbers are good examples.
Of course, there are other options, and you can check them out over here https://jenelizabethsjournals.com/2019/08/22/the-easiest-plants-to-grow-for-beginner-gardeners/.
Preparing for the Adventure
In order to succeed, regardless of the plant, you decide to go for, there are some necessary tools you’ll have to pick up along the way, to make everything easier for you, and your garden.
Most of these tools are meant to smooth the process of preparing your garden if you are going to go for an outside garden. If you are thinking of going for an indoor garden made by a set of pots, you can skip some of these tools.
Trowels are excellent to dig up dirt and place the plants and seeds you bought. It is also perfect for weeding and preparing the space for your garden since you absolutely need to set up soil and clean it from impurities, this is a great addition to your starting kit.
As mentioned over here, there are different types of trowels, each one suiting different situation. You should check the link for a deeper insight into the matter.
A good towel comes a long way, too, since you might end up sweating a lot. This is good, you are giving your body some exercise and sunlight, but sweating is not something everyone enjoys, so a towel will help you with that.
Shovels and spades can help you dig up bigger chunks of dirt or remove lots of debris from a specific location. They both can function for the same purposes, so don’t think too hard into it and pick the one that you like the most.
Secateurs can help you cut trimming and shaping flowers, trees, and plants, and work wonders at doing so because of their solid design and dense metallic scissors-like capabilities. They are also very easy on your hands!
Gardening shears are recommended for those who are thinking of planting and growing shrubs, since they can get crazy quickly, and shaping them with small secateurs can be quite a hassle.
Of course, we cannot forget the watering can, a tool that helps you during the maintenance and watering process, a really important part of gardening. Talking about watering, we also have irrigation systems as an option!
Irrigation Supplies for Watering
One of the biggest and more common mistakes beginners make is not taking care of the watering properly. Water and sunlight are the main sources of nutrients for plants, and if lacking, they can die. Still, they can also die if they receive too much sunlight and water.
I recommended specific plants: they are very hard to mess up. However, the possibility remains, thus, you have to be careful with the watering process.
If you go for a small garden, a watering can and some discipline and attention will be more than enough. With that said, if you go for a bigger garden, watering will shortly become a hassle, and it might even ruin the experience for you.
When that is the case, people prefer to go for irrigation systems. In short, they are systems that are installed to deal with the watering process for your gardens. You might be able to automatize the process by simply scheduling the watering times through the day, as well as the amount of water and this would depend on the system you decide to go with. These are called smart systems, and you can see more if you click the previous link.
Simpler systems can be installed in a way that, only by turning a switch or spinning a valve, they will start watering the plants. Some of these might require a water pump, and since they are meant to be manually activated, you will have to set up the schedule yourself and make sure to follow through with it.
Other irrigation systems use manual water pumps, meaning that you’ll have to put some strength into it. Still, it takes much less time than watering with a can, even more, if the garden is huge.
Overall, you should make sure to hire a professional to install an irrigation system, unless you are experienced and knowledgeable in the matter. You can always purchase simple systems that can function with a potent hose as well, but most of the time, a water pump will be needed.
