Where Do I Start?!

I hear this all of the time.  "I'd love to garden, but I just don't know where to start."

This post is meant to be a jumping off point.  It won't take you through the answers to every question you'll ever have, but--spoiler alert--I'm working on a project that will do more of that.  I hope you'll stick with me as we explore ways to get you started without feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities.  Rather, let's feel blessed by all the possibilities, and let our dreams take over.

1.  Dream.  I'd forgotten this was my first step until I was paring down our book collection.  I found a notebook full of sketches of garden plans, lists of plants I wished to grow, ideas of ways to fund getting seeds I wanted, and more.  I couldn't believe I'd forgotten those days of perusing garden catalogs and scanning google for property layouts.  Hours spent mentally creating what I wanted.

2.  Write it down.  Even though I'd lost my notebook (or thought I had, among our many moves across the country), I truly believe in the power of writing out those dreams.  It makes them real.  Keep photos, cut up catalogs, draw those sketches of what's in your head.  You'll be surprised what this can do for you.

3.  Start.  Start small if you need to, but start.  When we were living on graduate student stipends and raising 3 babies, I didn't have funds to start big.  But I could afford a packet of pea seeds and a rectangular window box.  My peas did great, and I learned how to save my own pea seeds.  The next season, I felt pretty good about taking my saved seeds to a seed swap.  I learned that gardeners are generous people, who often have an abundance of produce, seeds, and advice.  I went home from the seed swap with more information and possible beginnings than I could have imagined!  If I had any advice for anyone wanting to start, I'd say, "Go to a seed swap, even if you have nothing to offer."  I promise, as someone who now provides seeds for swaps, we don't care if you show up empty handed and leave with armfuls.  We want gardening to thrive!

4.  Look for opportunities to learn.  Helping older gardeners in your neighborhood do tasks that aren't easy for them anymore can provide you with experience and information.  Gardeners love to talk, and if you're weeding for us, even better!  In some locations, we met gardeners whose yards have become too big for them.  They used to have a large family and so became accustomed to growing large amounts.  But now, it's more work and more food than they can handle.  Our family, when it was small, was able to do yard work in exchange for produce.  It taught us, helped them, saved my tiny budget, and gave us a great jump start.

5. Read.  There are so many gardening theories out there!  So many, in fact, it can be overwhelming.  The project I mentioned above will help you sort through methods.  I can't wait to share it.  In the meantime, spend some hours in your local library.  You will definitely find books on gardening, but you may also find some gardening friends looking for the same information.

You might be saying, OK! OK! I get it!  I've done all of this.  But what do I do on the land I own?  I have a place, I have a small (or large) budget set aside, but I'm still overwhelmed!  What then?  Join me over on my post:  Jumping In.

Jumping In

You're ready to jump in.  You've got a spot.  Now what?  How do you make the most efficient start?  You don't want to forget anything...

Our hyssop.  Started small under the grape vines because we wanted more
blooms for honey bees.  Now it's massive!
You'd be surprised how quickly things can change.

First:  BREATHE.  While Mother Nature can be extraordinarily brutal, she's also very forgiving.  Dead plants become compost, and compost feeds future plants.  Dead plants also become learning experiences.  In a tomato starting class my husband and I taught a few years ago, a student asked what my credentials were.  My husband answered that we'd killed more plants than she'd even planted, and each killed plant taught us something new.  I loved it.  And he was right.  We've killed our fair share of crops, and we still do.  Yes, things die in my garden, too.  Even, and including, horseradish.

Second:  Figure out your zone.  Many garden catalogs have maps that show you what zone you are in.  Don't try growing plants not hardy for your zone.  They won't flourish, and you're setting yourself up for failure.

Third: Map it out.  Getting an aerial view of your yard with Google Earth can be very helpful.  It allows you to see spaces that you may otherwise ignore.  It's the big picture.  I also recommend using a yard planner such as the one offered by many different seed companies.  We used the one on Territorial Seed. 

Fourth:  Decide on a way to organize your seeds. Some use card catalog boxes, some use binders with baseball card sleeves, some use a tin can... I'll put together a whole post on how we organize our seeds.  My favorite supplies include a 3 inch binder and clear top-zippering pockets.

Fifth--though probably not last:  Jump in.  You'll learn very little waiting for things to happen.  Plant something.  Learn to care for it.  Problems will arise.  Trouble shoot.  Plant more...come back here and ask questions.  We'll get to you as fast as we can, but in the meantime, start something else.