Do start small
Like you would do with preparing a new dish, don’t go big immediately! You should not experiment too much and definitely start small in all aspects of the garden, such as the number of plant species you introduce, the size of the garden itself, and the daily workload. Regardless of how motivated you are, you need to take baby steps and focus on one task at a time, which means that they shouldn’t be too complex. Although you will be responsible for completing most tasks, you can always solicit occasional help from friends and family if you feel uncertain about a certain procedure.
Don’t do it on your own
Gardening is for many people a leisure activity that they like to enjoy on their own. However, this doesn’t have to be the case in your garden, as you should feel free to include all the family members. Not only will you gain from getting extra workforce to help you with all the chores but you will get a chance to spend more quality time with your loved ones. The children will perhaps gain the most, as they will learn how to behave outdoors and how to outsource directly from nature, especially if you decide to grow an organic vegetable garden.
Do take care of your health
If you are growing an urban garden, then the chances are higher that you haven’t had much practice with manual labor. This means that you need to take extra care about safety, so you don’t hurt yourself or get sunburned. This is best achieved by wearing protective gear, such as rubber gloves and hats to protect you against the scorching sun. Also, you need to be careful where you step as there are bound to be sharp tools lying around. Take frequent breaks by sitting down under a retractable pergola and drinking a glass of lemonade, if nothing else. Hydration is important during any physical activity.
Don’t ignore the needs of individual plants
You have probably read extensively about planting seeds and you have consulted a green thumb or two. However, plants are living beings and each species has different needs in terms of lighting and water. At first, it is going to be easy to cater to these species, but after a while as they grow in numbers it will become increasingly hard to handle these challenges. That is why you need to create a garden layout at the beginning to know how much sun and water each area of the garden needs to receive. This way, it will be much easier to take care of each particular plant and avoid overwatering them or letting them burn in the sun. Those species that like the shade could even be planted under the aforementioned pergola which will keep them away from harmful UV radiation.
Do take care of the aesthetics
Unlike a country field, a garden is not simply a patch of land that you throw seeds on, water them and then harvest them. A garden is, before all, a place of relaxation, so its aesthetic element is just as important as the floral one. This means that weeding is a process that should not consist only of plucking out these pesky plants but of preventive measures such as adding mulch. It can be homemade or you can buy colorful mulch at the local DIY center to decorate the area around individual plants. Furthermore, you can use paving stones to create winding paths across the garden in order to make the entire lot accessible on foot.
Growing a garden is much like coming down a snowy slope as you have to go through the right milestones and avoid hitting bumps. This can be hard at times but if you stick to the dos and don’ts listed here, your enthusiasm will prove more than enough to help you set up your garden in the right way.
About Author: Sarah Jessica Smith is a young blogger from Sydney. She is in love with life and all the things that can make her daily routine easier. She loves to write about home improvement, lifestyle, and all the small things that make life such a great adventure.
