Gardening 101
Thinking about starting a garden? Benefits and how to start gardening.
So what?
Gardening at home can be a daunting task if you don’t know how to get started or what you’re doing. It’s not so bad once you get started. We promise!
When you start a garden, you will:
- Grow environmentally sustainable, nutritious, healthy, high-quality food;
- Engage in activities to promote healthy mind and well being;
- Decrease exposure to chemicals and pesticides; and
- Reduce anxiety and stress while improving your mental health.
Basics of gardening
Gardening requires three main ingredients (aside from what you are planting) which are:
- Sun: Plants need direct sun for nutrition. It powers the photosynthesis (i.e. changing carbon dioxide and water into starches and sugars).
- Water: Main ingredient for photosynthesis is water. It enables plants to use energy from the sun to create necessary nutrients.
- Soil: Sand, clay, organic matters and silt are contained in fertile soil.
Steps to start gardening
Determine your level of commitment
The first thing you need to do is determine your level of commitment in terms of time and effort. Have a look at your calendar and figure out how many hours a week you are willing to invest in.
You will also need to think about your physical capability. Do you have trouble bending down, getting down to your knees, staying upright or lifting heavy things? Your physical capability and limitation will determine the types of gardening you can do.
Consider your environmental factors
Your environmental factors are important aspect of gardening. Think about the place and amount of space where your garden will be located. Is it outdoors or indoors? Will you be growing in a pot or ground? How much sun light will you be able to expose your garden?
Research and identify ideal plants
- Want an easy plant to grow? “Easy plants to grow”.
- Want a hard plant to grow? “Hard plants to grow”.
- Look up cultivation requirements for the shortlisted plants to see which one meets your level of commitment and environmental factors.
- In Canberra? Checkout ACT Government Suburban Land Agency’s recommended list of plant species, advice on how to create healthy gardens and tips on getting started for the Canberra climate. Click here for the Climate Wise Garden Designs booklet. Click here to find out more about the booklet.
Keep it stupid simple
Start with one type of plant and commit to it!
My experience
We have over 10 different types of trees in our yard. Whilst we have yet to “start” a garden, we have been maintaining our trees with some success and some failures. Gardening allows us to escape from the burden of everyday life. We get to disconnect from the “busy”ness of life and be present in our own world.
What now?
- Need a new hobby? Interested in gardening?
- It’s easier than you think.
- Get started to enjoy the benefits that it offers.
- If you’re after a book specifically written for Canberra, check out Gardening in Canberra by Patricia R. Shaw.