Gardening 101: A Beginner's Guide

Last year I started sharing my journey into gardening online. My husband and I have been planting flowers and vegetables for a few years but it wasn’t until last year that we really started to share what we were planting and how important gardening was to us! My DMs were flooded when “how do I start?” “what do I need?” “do you have any tips?” and “what products do you recommend?”

This blog post is long overdue, especially since we recently transitioned from in-ground gardening to raised beds. I receive so many questions daily from so many of you wanting to start growing your own garden but don’t quite know where to start. If this sounds like you, then this blog is the perfect place to start! I will walk you through the first steps to starting your garden, some simple tips and tricks to getting started, and some of my most recommended products. I hope to help the process of starting your garden a memory that will last you a lifetime!

Step 1: Consider what plants you would like to plant.

Are you looking to grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, and/or flowers? Deciding what plants you would like to grow is crucial to determining the best place in your yard to plant your garden. Plants like fruits, vegetables and herbs will all need at least 6 hours of sunlight daily to thrive in your garden, so keep this in mind! In our garden, we currently have all of the above. In the field behind our house is our corn. Then we have zinnias and other herbs. For vegetables, our raised beds are full of okra, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, squash, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, spinach and different types of lettuce. We also are growing cantaloupes this year! It’s been amazing to see how fast everything is growing, basically (what feels like) overnight!

Step 2: Determine where you will plant your garden.

When you’re looking at your yard, your plot of land, or even in a community garden, study your sun and shade patterns. Most importantly, make sure you are close to a water source and place your garden in an area that is easy for you to access daily. Morning walks through my garden is the highlight of my day! I love checking in and seeing how they’re doing and I especially enjoy that I can trust my daughter to water the plants with my supervision!

Step 3: “Build” out your space.

When visualizing what plants you are looking to grow, it’s imperative that you do your research on how much space each plant will need. This will help you figure out how much space your garden is going to take up. We’ve tried out vertical gardening this year since we quickly found with raised beds, space is not on your side. Our tomatoes and cucumbers grow vertically now so that we are allowing other plants to thrive too. Watermelons, melons, pumpkins and other seeded plants tend to spread far and wide. Remember research is your bff!

Step 4: Build, buy or dig out your vessels for growing.

If you choose to plant directly into the ground, I’ve got some resources for you! If you choose to follow suit and try out a raised bed, I’ve got some great ones that I love and highly recommend. Check out the links below!

Vita 4 ft. x 4 ft. White Vinyl Raised Garden Bed 2-Pack | Vita Classic 6×6 Compositing Keyhole, Raised Garden Bed | 96x24x10in Outdoor Wooden Raised Garden Bed Planter for Vegetables

Step 5: Get your seeds, start growing & ENJOY!

Having a garden is sincerely such a life-giving activity. I love seeing my kids grow up eating the food we planted. It’s such a joy! If you are looking for where to start, I’m including some fun items I recommend you buy before starting your first garden!

Metal Garden Arbor Trellis for Climbing Plants | Wood Obelisk | Wrought Iron Garden Obelisk Trellis | Willow Bulb Planter | Woven Cloche Plant Protector

The key to growing a successful garden is water, sunshine, and most importantly having fun. The saying “grown with love”(as cliche as it may sound) is truly the secret to beautiful crops. I can’t explain to you the joy of bringing in your first set of vegetables and getting to use them to make a beautiful meal. Cherish that feeling, because it is one of the best parts of having your own garden. Drop in the comments below what plant you’re going to kickstart your garden with!

Click HERE to view my “Gardening” highlight on Instagram and check out some of my latest IG reels for more gardening 101: Then Versus Now (Before and after), How to Create Raised Beds, and a silly one for you! Happy Gardening!

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