Adventures in Gardening: What I Learned in the First Month
So I’ve been working on growing my new flower garden for about a month now, and I still really have no idea what I’m actually doing, but it has been cool to see how things progress, and I’ve actually learned a lot as I experiment and try to find what works best. And for the record, because I live in a pretty mild (temperature wise) part of Southern California, I am paying zero attention as to when is the best time to actually plant things. I’m assuming since I live with mostly year round sunshine and don’t have to worry about things like frost, that my garden will do okay no matter what the time of year. I have yet to support this hypothesis with hard evidence, but I’m still going with it. If you, like me, are thinking about giving gardening a shot, here are some things I’ve learned so far:
Write everything down: I recently started a gardening notebook (which is truly how you know I’ve veered into obsession territory) because I can’t remember anything these days. I wish I had take the time in the beginning to write down what seeds I planted and when, when I saw the first sprout, and when I moved the seeds from their inside growing cups to the flower bed in my yard. Every seed has a different germination time, and it would have been helpful to have those first dates available (but I will from now on!).
Don’t plant all your seeds in one basket: I got some dahlia seeds in my first batch and I was super stoked to plant them, but I attempted to germinate all of them at once, and most of them didn’t take. I think I over-watered and they didn’t get enough sunlight, and I wish I would have left some extras to plant once I figured out their best conditions. I learned my lesson and now am germinating only half of new seeds when I get them so I can experiment a little and see what they like.
Impatient? Try zinnias!: Zinnias have far and away been the easiest and most plentiful of the varieties I’ve tried. They sprouted within a couple of days, stayed strong, and have been doing well outside in their new home. No blooms yet, but these have definitely been the most rewarding in terms of seeing quick progress.
Composting is your friend: We started just a small coffee can of compost, tossing in our coffee grounds, eggshells, banana peels, and apple cores (minus the seeds) and it has been great. It’s super easy to do, we just collect everything in the coffee can each day and dump it out in the flower bed in the yard once it gets full. It’s basically free fertilizer and it takes almost zero effort to manage.
Patience is a virtue: And one I don’t normally possess. However, it’s a must with gardening as it is going to be weeks, and even months before you really see the fruits of your labor. But it’s a long-term project, and if you go into it with the right mindset, you’ll be okay. I’m like the least patient person on the planet, and it gets frustrating sometimes, but I’m still having fun observing the small changes each day.
I’m still open for any and all of your gardening tips! Hit me with your best!
