One of the happiest moments most of us ever have is when we spend them in the garden drinking lemonade, watching the kids play in the sunshine, amongst all the flowers and trees. Most of us get to enjoy this space throughout the year because we started planning our months ahead during winter and are now reaping the benefits in summer and spring in full bloom and a lush green lawn.
Others who are not quite there yet, this article is for you. If you are longing for a sit out in your garden and you’ve got a decent-sized space but not sure where to start or how to do it, this one’s a good one for you. This article will cover the topic around gardening, how to get started and the best gardening gear to get before you embark on your adventure so that you can get your hands dirty safely.
Did you know gardening is a form of therapy? Yes. This fun activity has been researched and found to improve both mental and physical health while producing therapeutic surroundings, and nutritious home-grown food. If you’ve got a vegetable garden or are more inclined towards beautiful pleasing flowers and wild plants or herbs, this is the ideal thing for you.
There is no better time than now to get your hands in the ground behind and in front of your home. With the current pandemic facing the world with COVID-19, most if not everyone has started to work from home and stay indoors a lot more than possibly ever before. Finding activities to keep you busy and work your creative left brain, such as upgrading your garden, brings joy, mental elevation, and a sense of calm. Further information about this can be found here.
The origin of gardening range from a therapeutic landscape that was built by a doctor back in the 1700s, who, according to written records state that the simple act of digging up gardens and being around garden settings, was beneficial to mental health. That merely staring at a garden from one’s balcony helped improve one’s mood in patients with depression and mental conditions such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and agitation.
So, if you want to reap all these benefits and more, let’s take a walk into the garden and see what we can do to get you started. First things first, we need to assess the garden and choose the best place to start our growth.
Finding the Ideal Spot for Your Garden
Some people choose to focus on just one area of the garden so they can keep the other areas for social purposes such as barbeques, luncheons, and garden furniture. Others choose to use the entire space and spread things around. Whatever your preference, similarly to any other DIY project you take on, preparation is key.
First things first, we choose the best spot for the seeds and flowers. This is done by considering a few factors.
Sunlight. On top of your list should be sunlight, which is the most essential element to consider when starting your gardening project. Almost the majority of the plant species need sunlight to grow, except for shade plants that need minimal to none. These would include categories of tropical plants such as Bromeliad, which prefer indirect sun which doesn’t hit the plant, as the full sun on them will destroy their leaves. If you’re unsure about these categories contact Placer arborists for garden care advice.
There is also the indoor variety such as the Chinese Evergreen that don’t need light necessarily, for any beginner, this is a great plant to have in your house and care for, it is not fussy and can produce flowers too, they look similar to lilies and can be kept in a pot on the floor or even your table, shelf, near your bed.
On the topic of therapeutic plants, there are even a few plants that you can keep indoors which are perfect for filtering the air in your home. One may not realize but we tend to use a lot of chemicals in our homes in every possible manner when cleaning, and washing, simple items such as cleaning liquids, sprays, and gels all contain chemicals, and some are more toxic than others.
NASA had researched this very topic and produced a list of a few of the plants that one can include in their spaces that will help get rid of these toxins and keep the air clean and breathable. Especially now, when we are using copious amounts of disinfectant sprays and cleaning more frequently than we ever did before, it would be the perfect time to check these out and add a collection to your home.
Even without being in such a situation, it is a good idea to not only focus on the garden outside but the garden inside as well https://medium.com/@iamgreenified/12-nasa-recommended-air-purifying-plants-that-you-must-have-in-your-house-8797645054b9
Back to the discussion of sunlight. You will need to pick the spot which has the most sunlight to grow anything from a vegetable garden to pretty flowers. The spot you choose should receive a minimum of 5 hours of sunlight each day. Choosing one that has afternoon sunlight is the best option.
Water. Of course, this is the second most important aspect to consider when picking the right place for your garden. Plants need regular water consumption and we need to water them regularly. The idea here is to pick the spot that allows the easiest means of watering, either by you or by nature.
This pot will be one near a tap with a hose, or near the kitchen, so you can fill a flowering can with water and walk over. It needs to be a convenient watering space. Also, note that the ground must not have too much run through from something like rainwater, so it doesn’t gather in puddles. This will also depend on the soil quality in that area, and we will look at this later in the article.
Viewpoint. It is advisable to place this garden in front of the windows where you will be able to see it every day. This is because of two reasons, one is so that you can enjoy the view and the second is that it will be a reminder that it will need regular attention like watering, pruning leaves, de-weeding for instance. And also, a reminder that it is a space you can use and that you should go outside and spend some time in the sunlight and fresh air and walk on the grass with bare feet. This is also good for your mind and body.
Away from Danger. Another important consideration is to make sure that wherever you plant your roses, there aren’t any potentially harmful or dangerous hazards around. This could include anything from pets, wildlife, children, or just foot traffic. For instance, don’t position the garden anywhere near your children’s play area, keep it as far away as possible.
Now that we have seen the 4 factors to consider before starting the project, the next thing any beginner should do is to check a few things. We start with the soil.
The Best Gardening Gear to Invest In
Having gone through the 4 aspects above, we assume you would have chosen a spot by now. The next thing is to make sure your soil is ready for planting. Soil is a wonderful component, made up of an array of minerals, organic matter, gas, water, and living organisms, so it needs to be in its ideal condition before you even think about growing anything in it.
Essential gardening tools such as gardening gloves, gardening shears, a shovel, and a bucket to name a few should always be available. Good quality gardening wears like a pair of good trousers with a waterproof material, a pair of the best gardening knee pads for comfort when you are down on all fours, and a wide hat to protect your face from the sun’s harmful rays are some of the must-haves. Before you purchase these online, make sure you check which ones are the better user-rated ones. Check for star ratings and reviews.
Hence, when you get down on your hands and knees in the mud, you need to make sure you have the right gear to do it in, these are all the items that will also make the experience more enjoyable for you. The rest of the family may pitch in too if you’re planning on spending hours in the yard.
This is an important step so you don’t miss out on the fun and you can do things properly as they should be. Below is a list of items you should purchase before starting the project, and that every beginner gardener must have.
List of Gear to Get Yourself
- Pair of heavy-duty, waterproof, and well-insulated gloves
- Pair of waterproof trousers with pockets
- A Set of Garden Tools that includes: a de-weeder, spade, cultivator, trowel, and rake
- Pair of High-Quality Garden Pruning Shears
- A dump cart or wheelbarrow
- A garden hose if you don’t already have one
- A watering can
- Plant Ties (make sure they are gentle and foldable such as Velcro material
- An added fun thing to get is slate or wooden plant labels
- If Your growing herbs and seeds, you may need a spacing tool
Gardening is like cooking, if you don’t have the right tools such as the right crockery, ingredients, or utensil, not only will it be the least enjoyable thing you do, it will also come out half as good as when you do have the right ingredients and tools, it will make a huge positive difference to the outcome of the dish, much in the same way your garden will look ten times better when done right.
Lastly, being able to grow your garden filled with vegetables and herbs will also provide a more nutritional option with fewer pesticides and more organic versions of food dishes on your plate. We all know how good organic food is, in comparison to non-organic, don’t we? If not, this recommended site can tell you all about it.
We hope that all those budding beginner gardeners out there get some good information from this article. Happy gardening!
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