Have you got a backyard that is desperate for a bit of love and attention? Perhaps you bought or rented your current home intending to create a beautiful garden space, but this has not yet become a reality. Or possibly your outdoor space seems a bit neglected, is gathering dust, maybe even weeds and becoming a bit of an eyesore? Now is the opportunity to reshuffle that to-do list and put growing a backyard garden at the top of it. What’s more, is that the process can be as simple as you want it to be, while at the same time, effective and cost-saving. Let’s talk about some of the easy ways you can go about growing your own garden in your own backyard. If this sounds like a conversation you want to be a part of, keep reading for more green-thumb tips.
Location, Location, Location
The first step in growing your own green patch is to choose the optimal location for growth. Survey your backyard in terms of which area gets the most light and what time of day it is in the shade. How close is your chosen spot to a source of water? You need to decide in terms of how you will hydrate your vegetation. Whether you will be using a hose, watering can, sprinklers, or letting the rain do the work, these are all factors that will impact your decision. Think about making multiple trips to and from the tap to water your expansive shrubbery. The size of your property is a consideration too. Lastly, if you pick a spot that is too exposed to the elements, it will affect what type of plants you can grow.
The climate of your region will also impact the spot you choose to grow your garden. If, for instance, you live in an extremely dry and arid area, then you want to try and allow for some shade and a regular watering system, be it manual or automatic. If your area is very cold and damp, then consider a space that gets the most light of the day. The weather will also determine which kind of plants you should go for, so do your research on what grows best in your area, and let’s get planting. When choosing your plants, also consider how much time you can dedicate to maintenance, as different plant species require different levels of care.
Design Your Dream Space
So once you have given some thought to what kind of plants you want to grow, be it a grassy patch, some flowering blooms, vegetables, or a succulent garden, you will need to source the goods. Now, don’t let this part of the process overwhelm you as it can be incredibly easy. Nowadays, you can even purchase from an online nursery so that you don’t need to leave the comfort of your own yard. You can browse online for the blooms that suit you best, click to purchase and there will be a delivery at your door in no time. This takes out the messy trip to and from the nursery leaving soil stains on the backseat of your car. This way you can also seek advice and input from nursery experts while choosing what and how to grow it.
What Do You Need To Start?
Now that you have selected what you want to grow, it is time to prepare your backyard for the optimal growing conditions. You want to ensure that the quality of your soil is excellent so that there will be ample nutrients for your green babies to thrive. You can easily purchase this, along with good quality compost to help keep your plants well-nourished. For a cheap, environmentally conscious, and easy way to create compost, you can use your own organic waste from your kitchen. Veggie and fruit off-cuts make for brilliant plant food. Just mind that you don’t attract the rats. You also want to try and keep your garden pesticide-free, especially if you are growing vegetables. This becomes tricky for keeping away the pests, but an effective and natural route is to use a homemade concoction from vinegar or cayenne pepper. There are plenty of recipes to choose from online.Â
Start Small, Expand Later
This is especially important for novice gardeners. Why not rather focus all your efforts on a small area instead of starting off overly ambitious and setting yourself up for possible disappointment. If you start small, you will be able to pour ample time, love (and water) into your gardening. However, if you overwhelm yourself with an extensive number of plants and shrubs with varying care regimes, you may find it too difficult to maintain. This may make your garden feel like a burden, instead of the sanctuary, it was intended to be. Once you have gained your confidence as a gardener, learned what works well and what doesn’t, you might feel ready to take on a larger area or more complex plant species.
Ready, Set, Go!
The prep work is done, you are ready to start evening out your soil. Whether that means raking your existing soil or laying new soil. You need to dig to plant your seeds and/or bulbs, depending on what you have opted for. Make sure you allow enough space in between planting so that the roots have enough room to grow. Once you have laid down your seeds or bulbs, it is time to cover them with topping soil. Now, we water, and we wait. Let the growing commence! Patience is key here, as these things do take time.
If growing a garden in your backyard is something that has been on your agenda for some time, why not start now by taking some simple and effective steps towards achieving this. The task does not need to be overly complicated, time-consuming, or expensive. There are affordable and easy ways to transform your existing yard into the green haven you desire. Once you have experienced the mastery of growing your own plants, whatever the species may be, you will most likely feel inspired and motivated to expand your repertoire and plant more. Hopefully, this discussion has shed some light on ways you can begin your simple journey into creating your very own garden.
