The first time it happened was a cold, snowy day in December. First one arrived, then two, and before long I had dozens. The gardening catalogs sat in a pile on my desk, and I dove in and devoured every last one of them, spending the dreary winter days fantasizing about all the lush greenery and flamboyant flowers that would spring forth in glory from my yard come spring.
I ordered hundreds of dollars in plants and seeds, put them in the ground dutifully and waited. And waited. And waited a bit longer, growing more impatient by the minute and wondering what went wrong. Had all these plant nurseries sold me on a pipe dream?
I started reading books, watching gardening DVDs and asking neighbors, trying to figure out what had happened to my dreamed-of garden. The more I learned, the more I realized I had made some pretty common beginning gardener’s mistakes.
After a great deal of study and effort, I figured out how to get my garden to bloom and be bounteous. Now let me share the five worst mistakes I made as a beginning gardener, to save you from doing the same.
1. I never tested my soil: Believe it or not, it never occurred to me to test the soil before I planted. I guess I thought that plants could just grow anywhere. Not so. After I did have my soil tested, I was pretty horrified to find out that it was full of contaminants. It turns out that the former property owner liked to work on his cars in the exact spot I had picked for my garden. The ground was full of petroleum waste that made it unsuitable to grow anything in. I 2. I didn’t plan my garden in advance: There are some plants that need to be kept separate from others, or separate period. Mints come to mind, as they will spread and take over any available soil. 3. I picked plants that weren’t suitable to my environment: Oh, those gardening catalog photos are beautiful. But really, I can’t grow subtropical plants outside in my northern plains home. Make sure you know your zone, and stick to plants that are suitable for your zone. 4. I didn’t follow the directions on the seed packet: Joe Pye weed is very pretty, but if you don’t follow the very specific directions for sowing, you’ll never see any flowers. Trust the seed packers, they know what they’re talking about. 5. I didn’t educate myself before I jumped in and planted: I guess I thought I would just instinctively know how to grow the plants I like, but that’s not the case. Gardening is part art, part science, and part intuition. Make sure you read, read, read and talk to other gardeners when you’re planning your first foray. Educate yourself first, and you’ll end up with a beautiful garden that lasts.