Gardening 101: A Guide for Beginners

Are you interested in learning how to garden but aren’t sure where to start? Or maybe you know how to garden but want to dive a little deeper into design and learn more about specific plants? Become the gardener you’ve always wanted to be with these simple gardening 101 tips, tricks, and inspiration.

In this post we will cover the following topics:

We’ve got a lot of ground to cover! Are you ready?

Your green thumb starts…Now!

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Gardening 101: Beginner Basics

Before we get started, I want to note that most of my writing is geared towards flowers but you can apply a lot of the same concepts to vegetable gardening too.

It’s not that I don’t do a lot of vegetable gardening because I do, but I haven’t blogged much about it because I lean more toward flowers and houseplants.

Gardening brings a lot of joy. Growing a garden is great therapy for the body, mind, and soul. And once you get started, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to begin.

Here’s what you need to know to live your best gardening life.

Know Your Gardening Zone

Not sure what hardiness zone you are in?

It’s very important to know this before purchasing plants and growing a garden because your zone will determine what you can plant and when.

Knowing your gardening zone will also help you understand what is perennial and annual in your locality.

CLICK HERE to learn your zone.

I grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables in gardening zone 6a in my New Jersey Garden.

Garden Tools and Supplies for the Beginner

Before we start gardening, we need to stock up on the right supplies!

From pruners to hand trowels, and garden forks to shovels, what do you need to start your best gardening life?

In general, here’s what you need to get started:

• garden shovel
• garden fork
• spade shovel
• hand trowel
• garden gloves
• pruners
• wheelbarrow
• sunscreen (always)
• sunhat

Click here for a beginner’s list of garden tools. And click here if you want to stock up on my go-to gardening supplies.

Find the Right Location

Depending on what you want to grow, research the light conditions so you know before you plant. Not all plants are suited for full sun. And not all plants are suited for shade.

But how can you tell what kind of light a certain spot gets?

Watch it for one full sunny day and check it hourly from morning through evening. If you get 6-8 full hours of sun, you’ve got full sun. 4-6 hours is part sun/part shade. And anything below 4 hours is considered shade.

So it’s important to read the plant tags before you purchase so you know that they will suit the light conditions of your garden.

3 Easy Ways to Start a Garden

While you may already have some existing gardens you can work with, if you are starting from scratch, there are 3 ways you can start a new garden.

The traditional method of starting a garden is digging out and removing existing sod. It can be very tiring but is the best way if you want to get it done in a short amount of time.

Click here to learn how to start a garden using the traditional method.

But if you want to start a new garden the easy way and have some time to spare?

Try this easy method to start a new garden instead. It’s much easier to do and a great way to get an instant garden using the no-dig method.

But there are other options for gardening than growing plants in the ground.

Raised bed or container gardening might be a great option for you if you lack garden space or want to work in beds that are higher than ground level.

I started using self-watering raised beds for my vegetable garden a few years ago and the harvest was amazing! This is how I started those raised garden beds.

But you can save a lot of money if you DIY raised garden beds yourself. My husband recently built several raised beds for me in the potager garden and they turned out amazing.

One of the benefits to making them yourself is you are not locked into any one particular design. You can make them any size or shape that you want.

We had a lot of space in the potager garden to work with so he designed a few raised beds to suit the space.

He built them from cedar deck boards and we used a BPA-free plastic liner on the inside to hep keep the soil contained and prevent the wood from rotting as quickly.

A word of advice about DIY raised garden beds. If you plan to eat anything that you grow in them you should use cedar or another type of wood that does not contain arsenic.

Many kinds of wood, like pressure-treated lumber, have arsenic and other toxic chemicals that will leach into the soil and get taken up by those plant roots. So it’s really important to be cognizant of your garden’s purpose so you can choose the proper wood.

I recommend leaning towards caution and going with cedar because it’s usually less expensive and affords you the opportunity to change how you want to garden down the road.

Start With Good Soil

To be a successful gardener, you must have good-quality soil. Soil preparation is one of the most overlooked and critical steps to growing a healthy garden.

Before planting in the ground, take some soil samples and have them tested so you know what your soil needs to grow happy and healthy plants.

You can purchase soil test kits online, but your local cooperative extension or master gardener helpline can help you as well.

Once you have your soil test results, it’s important to amend that soil yearly to keep it nutritious for your plants.

Compost

One of the best ways to amend your soil is to make your own compost.

While you can purchase bags of compost from the local garden nursery, it’s very easy to make your own. Not to mention, it’s more budget-friendly to make your own too.

This is how to make your own compost recipe.

But if you want to keep things simple for yourself, just grab a bag at the nursery until you are ready to make your own.

Leaf Mold

And to make your soil even better?

Collect all that leaf debris and make leaf mold with these easy tips.

And be sure to add some sort of mulch to your beds after planting to help suppress weeds. It will also eventually break down and amend the soil too.

As an aside, I’m often asked what I feed my perennials, trees, and shrubs. And the truth of the matter is…I don’t. I just focus on good soil quality.

How to Plant

Planting any plant seems a lot harder than it is, but trust me when I tell you, it’s easy!

Supplies Needed for Planting

• Hand Trowel or Garden Shovel
• Garden Soil (for the ground) or Potting Soil for Containers
• Plants of your Choice

Now that we have the supplies, let’s plant stuff!

How to Plant in a Garden

• Gather supplies
• Dig a hole that is twice the size of the plant’s rootball.
• Squeeze plant out of nursery container or cell. If plant is rootbound, you may need to cut the roots from the bottom of the pot to get it out.
• Tease roots with your fingers to encourage them to grow out in the soil once planted. If plant is rootbound, where the roots are tightly wound around the base, slice them to loosen them up and then tease them out.
• Add some garden soil to the hole then add the plant.
• Backfill with garden soil and mix in the existing soil.
• Top with mulch.
• Water well.

If working with a container, follow these container gardening tips for planting.

Watering

When and how much to water is dependent on many different factors that include the rainfall, site, climate, and whether the soil has been properly prepared.

Thus, the more planning you do before planting your garden, the easier it will be to water and care for your plants.

For example, some plants need more water than others, so it’s best to group those plants together in the same area of the garden that is close to a watering source.

In the alternative, plants that require less water can also be grouped together and planted further away from a water source.

It takes a few years for a plants system to tolerate long dry periods. So even ones marked “drought-tolerant” will only be able to survive drought conditions when their roots are well established.

Topping off garden beds with mulch is a great way to help keep moisture in the soil.

Where houseplants are concerned overwatering can be a detriment to plants. Click here to learn how to tell when it’s time to water.

If you are not sure how well an area drains, dig a hole that is 1 foot by 1 foot, fill it with water and see how quickly it drains. If it drains in under 30 minutes, it is a great spot for plants that need dry or well-draining soil.

Fertilizing

While supplementary nutrients are needed for some plants, too often gardeners overfertilize their gardens.

As I mentioned before, I do not fertilize perennials, shrubs, or trees. They simply don’t need it if you are focusing on good-quality soil.

However, I recommend fertilizing roses, container gardens, houseplants, annuals, and vegetables.

• For my flowers, houseplants, and other annuals, I use this slow release fertilizer because it lasts for a few months and is set and forget.
• To feed my roses, I use this organic rose fertilizer that helps produce an abundance of blooms.
• And for my vegetables and herbs, I use this organic fertilizer.

How Do You Start a Garden For Beginners?

So now that we understand the basics, starting a garden can be a fulfilling and enjoyable hobby, even if you’re a beginner.

Here are tips to help you get started:

• Choose the right location based on what you want to grow. Look for a spot in your yard or balcony that receives adequate sunlight, has good drainage, and is easily accessible for watering and maintenance.
• Determine what type of garden you want to grow. It could be a vegetable garden, flower garden, herb garden, or a combination of these. Consider your interests, available space, and climate.
• Prepare the soil. Good soil is essential for healthy plant growth. Remove weeds, rocks, and debris from the planting area. Loosen the soil with a shovel or a tiller, and add organic matter such as compost or aged manure to improve soil fertility.
• Select plants that are suitable for your climate, soil type, and available sunlight. For beginners, it’s best to start with hardy and easy-to-grow plants that require less maintenance.
• Follow the planting instructions on the seed packet or plant tag. Plant at the appropriate depth and space them accordingly. Water the plants gently after planting.
• Most plants require regular watering, especially during dry periods. Water the plants deeply, but avoid overwatering, as it can cause root rot. Check the moisture level of the soil regularly by sticking your finger about an inch into the soil. If it feels dry at that depth, it’s time to water.
• Mulching helps to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature. Apply a layer of organic or inorganic mulch around the plants, leaving space around the stems to prevent rot.
• Maintain the garden all season long. Regularly remove weeds, dead leaves, and spent flowers to keep your garden tidy and prevent diseases. Fertilize the plants as needed, following the recommended application rates. Keep an eye out for pests and diseases, and address them promptly.
• Learn from the experience and don’t get discouraged. Gardening is a continuous learning process. Observe how your plants grow and adapt to the environment, and learn from any mistakes or successes. Experiment with different plants, techniques, and designs to find what works best for you.

Remember, gardening is a patient and rewarding endeavor. Be prepared to put in time and effort, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks. With time and experience, you’ll develop your own green thumb and enjoy the beauty and bounty of your own garden.

Flower Gardening with Perennials and Annuals

If you love flowers like me and want them blooming all season long, there are a few tricks of the trade to learn.

For starters, it’s important to understand the basics of perennials vs annuals.

Because they serve different purposes and what gardening zone you are in will help you determine what is annual and perennial in your locality.

Click here to learn more about annuals vs perennials and how to use them with intention in your garden.

How to Prune and Deadhead Flowers

To keep your garden looking healthy and tidy, it’s important to prune plants and deadhead flowers.

When pruning hydrangeas, ornamental shrubs, and other woody plants, you’ll want to follow these tips because pruning at the right time for that particular plant matters.

But if you are deadheading flowers from perennials, annuals, and roses? Follow these simple tips.

• As the blooms fade, cut off the flower stems below the spent flowers and just above the first set of full, healthy leaves using garden snips, pruners, or your finger tips.
• Check plants carefully to ensure no flower buds are hiding among the faded blooms before you shear off the top of the plant. You don’t want to accidentally cut off any blooms!

Keep in mind that not all plants can be deadheaded so research the flowers you are growing to see if they will benefit from deadheading.

Why and How to Divide Perennials

Dividing perennials is a great way to keep the garden looking good and share the bounty with others.

There are several reasons why we need to divide perennials every few years.

• Plant health
• Maintain overall size
• Avoid overcrowding
• Budget-friendly method to growing more plants
• Keep plants in check

Click here to learn how to divide perennials.

Fun Fact: Did you know that hydrangeas can be divided too? Yes!

Garden Design Ideas

When I started gardening, I wanted to grow as many flowers as I could fit in my existing garden when we moved to our first home.

What started as a small garden where I learned some basics, expanded to a gorgeous cottage garden that bloomed throughout the season after we added a second story addition.

How to Design an Everblooming, Colorful Garden

To get the most out of what little space we had, I studied garden books, magazines, catalogs, and visited the garden nursery A LOT to see what bloomed throughout the season.

The idea is to create a garden that is layered with plants that will bloom at different times throughout the growing season.

Do you want to grow a colorful flower garden that blooms from early spring through fall too? Follow these tips.

Cottage Garden Ideas

And if you love the look of a cottage garden like I do?

I got you.

Characterized by a charming, informal design and a mix of a variety of plants, a cottage garden includes flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruit trees. Cottage gardens are often associated with the English countryside and evoke a sense of rustic, old-fashioned beauty.

A key feature of a cottage garden is that it is not highly manicured or formal. Instead, it has a natural, relaxed look with plants growing in a seemingly haphazard manner.

So it is imperfectly perfect.

This creates a sense of abundance and abundance, with a mix of colors and textures that are pleasing to the eye.

From beautiful flowers to pretty garden decor, here are 5 easy ways to grow a cottage garden.

Check out these posts for some cottage garden inspiration.

• Easy-care cottage garden ideas
• Easy flower garden ideas for the porch
• Click here to see how my cottage garden grew in 2021 at my former home
• And click here to see how my garden flowers grew in 2020 at my former home

DIY Garden Decor

I love the look of a birdhouse in the garden, don’t you?

It adds character and a place for the eye to stop while viewing the gardens, but it also provides shelter for the birds.

While you can buy them almost anywhere, you can also build your own!

Click here to learn how to DIY a birdhouse for your cottage garden.

Design a Garden that Attracts Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Do you want to grow a garden that attracts pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies?

They are so fun to watch around the gardens throughout the growing season and super easy to attract too.

Luckily, there are several flowers that attract both!

Butterfly Gardening Tips

Every butterfly garden has bright, bold, and beautiful nectar loving plants that feed both butterflies and caterpillars. So it’s important to plant both host and nectar plants to attract butterflies to your garden.

Click here to learn more about how to design a butterfly garden.

Here are 10 of my favorite easy-care and gorgeous flowers that attract butterflies.

Hummingbird Gardening Tips

Gardening for hummingbirds is similar but slightly different. Plant a variety of flowers and shrubs in varying heights to provide shade, shelter, food, and water and you’ll see hummingbirds visit your garden often.

Click here to learn more about how to design a hummingbird garden.

And click here for 9 easy-care blooms that attract hummingbirds.

Container Gardening 101

If you have a small space to garden, want to start small, or think you kill things, gardening in containers is a great way to get your feet wet. Because you can grow anything in them, including vegetables.

Click here for container design tips and general care information.

And if you are not sure what type of container to use? Click here to learn more about how to choose the right container for gardening.

But if you are looking for some design inspiration, check out these posts:

• How to Plant a Container Garden in 7 Easy Steps
• How to Plant a Window Box Garden
• Mosquito Repellent Planter Ideas
• Easy Outdoor Planter Idea for Sun
• Outdoor Container Garden Idea for Fall
• Winter Planters that Cost Nothing
• Gardening with Outdoor Planters in Winter

Gardening 101: Protecting Your Garden From Pests and Disease

If you are new to gardening, it is SO important to walk your gardens every single day. You will catch problems early and hopefully salvage anything that is seriously damaging your plants.

And my best advice?

When you see something wrong, address it right away. Don’t wait to deal with it. I’ve done the latter before and regretted it for years after.

This is what I generally do when I walk around and how I troubleshoot pest and disease issues when I see things.

How to Keep Deer From Eating Garden Plants

If you live in an area that is prone to deer, you’ll need to protect plants that they enjoy.

While there are plants deer prefer not to eat, they can eat anything.

But there are lots of ways to protect plants from deer browsing and I’ve found that repellents work very well for plants that are more susceptible to damage.

Click here to learn best practices for keeping deer from eating garden plants. This post also includes a list of garden plants rated by deer resistance that I use when I go to the nursery, so be sure to check it out.

I shared a deer-repellent strategy I used in my former garden and found it to be very effective.

To get more specific, I have used this deer repellent with great success. It smells minty and doesn’t clog like other brands.

But now, I’m all about this deer repellent that is systemic instead of topical. This means the plant takes it in as opposed to it just smelling bad.

Beneficial Insects for the Garden

Did you know that certain insects like praying mantis and ladybugs help protect the garden from pests and disease problems?

Yes!

I had a serious scale infestation two summers ago in my gardens and couldn’t get rid of them with organic pest control, so I ordered ladybugs for my garden and it worked!

The ladybugs ate the scale and my problem significantly improved after releasing them.

Wait until you see how ladybugs helped my garden!

Japanese Beetles and Grub Control

Japanese beetles can be a real menace in the garden as they defoliate plants in summer. Sure you can knock them off into buckets of soapy water but that can be a lot of work.

Pheromone traps are not effective and I know many will say that they are but hear me out. They actually attract MORE to your garden and don’t really solve the problem long term.

This is what you need to do to deal with Japanese beetles. It is not a quick fix but it works very well.

Hydrangeas 101

One of the most popular plants that new gardeners enjoy are hydrangeas. And what’s not to love?

They are easy to care for, there are lots of different varieties, and the flowers are beautiful. Hydrangeas make great cut flowers and dry well for wreaths and other indoor decor.

There is so much to say about them so I’ve shared tips in several different posts that I’ll list below.

Everything You Need to Know About Hydrangeas

• The Complete Guide to Hydrangea Care and Their Flowers
• The Basics of Hydrangea Care
• How to Dry a Hydrangea the Easy Way
• How to Divide Hydrangeas
• 7 Easy Steps to Propagating Hydrangeas
• Why Aren’t My Hydrangeas Blooming?
• Why Aren’t My Hydrangeas Blooming – Update?
• Are Hydrangeas Deer Resistant?
• How to Make a Hydrangea Wreath
• How to Prune Hydrangeas

Beginner Roses Care

When I first started gardening, I wanted to grow roses.

They are such beautiful flowers, aren’t they?

But I was a little intimidated because I’ve always heard they are difficult and fussy to grow but let me be the first to tell you, that is not so!

While some need a little more work than others, there are varieties you can grow that are easy to grow and need minimal care.

Do you want to grow roses? Click here to learn what you need to know to enjoy a beautiful rose garden.

Cut Flower Gardening Basics for Beginners

If you enjoy a fresh bouquet of flowers indoors, I can’t tell you how rewarding a cut flower garden is.

I used to be the kind of gardener that only wanted to enjoy her flowers outdoors.

But now?

I’m hooked on growing flowers to harvest because you can enjoy them both in the garden and inside the home.

Cut flower gardening is a little more work, but it is really fun to do and if you are interested in learning more about it, check out this post.

Houseplants 101

Are you interested in growing houseplants but think you aren’t good at it? It’s probably not you, but it is likely the plants you are trying to grow.

Some plants are much easier to work with than others and if you are just starting out? I suggest working with super easy-care plants that are hard to kill like these:

• Snake Plant
• Monstera Plant
• Pilea Plant
• Spider Plant
• Pothos
• Christmas Cactus
• Aloe Vera

Do you know that fiddle leaf fig that is all the rage these days with indoor decor?

Yeah, don’t grow that one because they are super fussy and not easy to care for. If this sounds like your experience with houseplants, give them another try.

There are lots of benefits to growing and caring for houseplants.

• They purify the air.
• Beautify our living spaces.
• And are known to improve our mood.

Studies have shown that indoor plants improve concentration and productivity as well as reduce stress levels. Houseplants are great for all levels of gardeners and nobody has a black thumb. Nope, not true!

Once you have a good understanding of what works best for you and the climate in your home, your inner green thumb will flourish.

When I was a beginner plant mom, I had no clue why my houseplants struggled and oftentimes didn’t survive.

But I’ve learned what works, where plants thrive best in my home, how and when to water.

As my experience grew, there are a few things I do that have dramatically improved the health of my houseplants.

A little knowledge can go a long way, this is what you need to know to grow houseplants without killing them.

And click here if you want a good easy-care plant list to start your plant parent journey.

But this is my best tip for keeping those plants alive. And you will be surprised at what it is!

If your plants struggle or otherwise are not looking great, you can save them by doing THIS.

More Houseplant Care Tips and Tricks

• How to Style Your Houseplants
• 7 Easy Indoor Gardening Ideas for Beginners
• How to Propagate Pothos Plant
• Amaryllis Care

More Beginner Gardening Tips

Are you new to gardening or do you have any gardening tips you’d like to share? I would love to know more in the comments below.

And don’t miss joining my Gardening DIY and Decorating Community on Facebook for more chatter. And follow along there and on Instagram as well. There are behind-the-scenes daily things that I share on Instagram that don’t make it to the blog. Would love to see you there too!

If you prefer to binge-watch Bricks ’n Blooms on TV, we go more in-depth with tours and posts on my YouTube channel. Would love to hang out with you there!

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Garden Supplies I Use

I’m often asked about the garden supplies and tools that I use most. From pruners to deer repellents, here are some of my favorites in no particular order.

• I like to use good-quality garden soil, compost, and perlite when planting.
• I have used this deer repellent with great success. But now, I’m all about this deer repellent that is systemic instead of topical. This means the plant takes it in as opposed to it just smelling bad.
• Hands down this is the tool I use all the time: my favorite hand-weeding tool. You can use it to get underneath roots, loosen soil, and it cuts down on the weeding time because you work much faster.
• But I also love this long, stand-up weeding tool to really get around roses from afar.
• I use THIS ORGANIC FERTILIZER for roses because the blooms are more prolific and it’s organic.
• You’ll need a sharp set of pruners when working with plants and flowers. I buy a few so I can stash them around.
• Where pest and disease problems are concerned, I generally use this insecticidal soap or neem oil to help control infestations depending on the issue.
• This is my favorite set-and-forget slow-release fertilizer for houseplants, annuals, and container gardens.
• Whenever I stake my peonies or other plants, I generally use these grow through garden supports because they work really well and keep the blooms upright.

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