Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to a brand new year of Garden Gossip. Those of you who have been regular followers of this column will be aware that the recent trend here has been a discussion of rare, unusual and challenging plants. Since we are entering a brand new year, it seems only appropriate that we take also take a new approach. I’ve spoken with a large number of people over the past year who are new readers of this column. I also constantly answer questions from area gardeners who are new to the hobby. What I’ve been seeing and hearing is a desire to revisit some garden basics. With that in mind, let’s go into 2016 starting with the most basic of gardening concepts and build from there. Also, as I’ve always said, if you have a particular question or topic that you would like to see covered here in Garden Gossip, please let me know and I’ll try my best to help you out.
So you’d like to start a garden, but you’ve never grown anything before. Where to start? How to start? What to grow? The questions are easier to come up with than the answers, but, lucky for you gardening is one of the most popular hobbies on the planet so there are plenty of resources out there.
If you’ve never gardened, but you’d like to start now, you have a couple easy questions to answer. First, what would you like to grow? Are you interested in vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs, or all the above? Deciding what you’d like to grow is the first step. The answer to that question leads you to the next one. Where will you locate your garden(s)? Not everyone will have the right sun or soil to grow everything that they’d like to. Learning to understand what different plants need as well as what you have is one of the most important skills any new gardener can develop.
Another critical decision is where you will get your plants from. There are dozens of great seed companies who send out catalogues every spring. Most of them have already arrived in local mailboxes. Learning to read between the lines while poring over these tempting catalogues is another acquired skill. Nothing is ever as easy or as pretty as they would have you believe but don’t be discouraged by that. Seed catalogues paint a picture of unrealistic perfection but the results of growing your own garden can still be pretty spectacular. Besides catalogues, you can search for seeds and plants on the internet where almost anything can be tracked down if you have the patience. You can also shop at local stores and farmers’ markets where seeds and starter plants are widely available every spring. One big advantage to shopping at local sources is that these folks are generally going to be selling products that are proven in our growing zone. So much of what you see in catalogues doesn’t have a hope once introduced to our harsh growing conditions. Greenhouses are another excellent place to shop for your growing needs. One huge advantage to shopping at greenhouses is that gardening is what they do. There are always experts around to answer your questions and help make your search for the perfect plants just a little bit less stressful.
Finally, perhaps the best place of all to get seeds and plants is from fellow gardeners in your area. Gardeners are, by nature, inclined to share. This applies to both wisdom and plants. Odds are that if you’re having a problem with a pest, a plant, a disease or any other garden related matter, other gardeners in your neighbourhood have likely dealt with the same problem. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! There is nothing gardeners like sharing more than their knowledge…except maybe zucchini. Local gardeners can also be the best source of plants for your starter garden. Gardeners are notorious for their desire to experiment and push the envelope. You can bet that any plants or seeds they offer to share with you have already passed several tests and trials in their garden and are likely to perform well for you. Quite often plants that you are gifted with will turn out to be family heirlooms or at the very least, plants with an interesting story. One of the great joys of gardening is the many stories and memories that people so often associate with various plants.
As a neophyte gardener, you may have questions about equipment. It could be lighting systems or indoor seed starting systems. You may have questions about the various tools designed to help you with your garden work, or in some cases, designed to lighten your wallet.
There is also plenty to be learned about soil types, insect pests, plant nutrients, weeds, seed starting, variety selection, preserving the harvest and so much more. In the columns ahead we will make an effort to answer as many of your questions as possible. Welcome aboard!
