an unexpected gardening journey (+ 5 tips for a first-time gardener)
July 2024
Last July, after a visit to the community gardens I was inspired to get a plot of my own. The goal was to grow a wildflower “meadow” - I thought I could simply scatter seeds in the soil and let nature work its magic.
As you might imagine (and see from the photos below), it wasn’t quite so simple.
July 2024
Our assigned plot was overgrown with weeds! The previous gardeners had begun sheet mulching with pizza boxes and wood chips but it was nowhere near enough to smother the weeds. I decided to remove them and threw the flower seeds onto the bare soil. Then my husband and I worked on clearing all the overgrowth along the fence lines.
Within a few weeks, everything grew back with a vengeance. We surrendered and bought a couple raised beds and transplanted the rogue zinnias that had somehow popped up. We attempted a few fall crops from seed in the other bed, but nothing really took off. In the end, we had a handful of cosmos, zinnias, and a single sunflower plant.
At the end of the season, we focused on sheet mulching with cardboard and wood chips - MULCH MULCH MULCH, that’s the one piece of advice I’d give to a new gardener working with a weedy plot. Plastic and weed fabric are banned at the gardens so we saved up all of those shipping boxes and went to work preparing for the next growing season.
We were so proud of our efforts - little did we know, it was still not enough to choke out all the grass and weeds…
The community garden resides in the flood plains, a fact we learned first hand after a winter rainstorm. While fellow gardeners' wooden beds and debris floated around (and into our plot), our galvanized beds held strong! After a February cleanup, I spent the following weeks studying up on all things gardening.
Fast forward to today - this little garden is flourishing! I'm incredibly grateful for this slice of serenity. Who knew I'd become a gardener, embracing the dirt, sweat, and even the bugs?
This unexpected hobby has become a welcome escape – to be immersed in nature, celebrating new growth, soaking up much-needed vitamin D, and nurturing my creativity.
Looking to start your first garden? Here are 5 tips from one newbie to another:
Explore no-dig gardening: This method minimizes soil disruption, promoting healthy ecosystems in your beds - check out this beginner’s guide by no-dig expert Charles Dowding
Start small: A manageable 4x3 foot bed is plenty to grow a variety of veggies, herbs, and flowers! (See my photo at the top of the page – a single bed bursting with pansies, violas, snapdragons, basil, sugar snap peas, cubanelle peppers, cilantro, and calendula!)
Grow what you love to eat: When we bought eight sungold cherry tomato seedlings from a local master gardener this spring, she asked us why so many?? Because we love them! While I’m not a huge tomato fan in general, sungolds are irresistable!
Flowers are perfectly fine: Though my original plan was a wildflower haven, I felt some pressure to include vegetables. Now, after growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini, I’ve decided it’s not for me. I’ll leave them to the experts - I find myself much more enthralled by flowers and wish I had dedicated more time and space to them.
Adapt gardening advice to your needs: There’s a lot of information out there - prioritize what works for you, your schedule, and your budget.
Happy gardening!
