Don't know the first thing about Gardening? It's too hard to learn?

Absolute Nonsense!

Quite possibly, this is the most forgiving hobby there is. The BIG thing to remember about plants is, they will not instantly die on you.

You have a lot of leeway here. Plants will alert you to the fact that something is wrong, by the sheer fact they start to look sad.

This gives you time to DO something about it. Unlike most other hobbies, where, if you forget to do something - the whole project may

well fall to pieces before your eyes.

Gardening, being such a popular passtime, and with all the latest alternative or organic information we have to hand,

gardening as a natural science is fun to learn about and rewarding in the extreme...

Produce your own fruit and veg - do less shopping and re-introduce yourself to the taste of REAL produce.

Keep it organic!- think globally, act locally.

Stay fit and healthy with exercise and fresh air. Gardening is good for the soul too.

Spend quality time outside with the family - in the garden.

Be creative, experiment with new garden designs and plantings.

When you start gardening, a funny thing happens - you LEARN - whether you want to, or not,

knowledge just seeps in and before you know it , you will find that you actually - KNOW things.

Shall we begin?

Take your time. Look at your proposed garden area, contemplate it. Do not think for a moment, that you are going to do this in a day.

That will only lead to disappointment - and you may as well just go straight back inside and turn the telly on.

Take a little time, do a little planning. Don't take too long, though, keep up the enthusiasm or ideas may begin to fade.

What would you like to have in your garden? Colour, shade, somewhere to sit that is shady and colourful?

Somewhere to entertain, or for the kids to play?

Something like...a....

........butterfly patch

........water feature, oh, nice.

........a patch of wildflowers

........herb garden, right near the kitchen there.

........Gotta have a vegetable garden!

Better have a shed, too, to store your tools. Where would that be best placed? Don't waste a sunny position for a garden shed.

Sheds don't need the sun, but your garden does!

Some garden furniture? Somewhere pleasant, like near the jasmine, or the herbs?

Personally, I like to sit smack-bang in the middle, where I can see everything; and contemplate what is going on.

If you can afford it, buy your garden structures and furniture, first; and position them where you think they should be.

Then create your garden around them. That is another reason I put my benches and seats in the middle - I fan out from there,

giving an enormous illusion of expansion, as I go.

If you cannot afford the big stuff, to begin with - merely, leave spaces large enough for where they will go, as you acquire them;

and continue with the rest..

If you are just starting out, into the world of gardening - start small. By this I mean: do as much as you are comfortable doing.

If this is planting only one thing, then planting one thing is all you do. Never overdo it, as you will find your enthusiasm for the

project waning, if not utterly vanishing at the thought of getting out there again. Remember - this is NOT a race!

Other things that come into this consideration are:

Are you going to invite other members of the family to ‘help'? The old adage ‘more hands make lighter work'; is certainly true,

but not much fun if no-one really wants to play.

How much time do you actually have, to be playing in the garden? Are you reasonably healthy enough for the task?

The weather must be taken into consideration,too. If you are mucking about in the rain, you will actually do more damage than

good - to the garden. Like-wise , if you are slogging around in a heat-wave, you will do more damage than good - to your health.

Gardening should be treated as a continuation, an evolution if you like, of your hobby, rather than a chore that has ‘gotta be done',

like painting the house, or somesuch.

Plants are continuously growing and changing the shape and feel of your garden. You can just let it grow as it will,

all higgeldy-piggeldy and wild, or you can just as well hack it back when it becomes less than polite! It will come back.

Gardens are very forgiving.

An uncommon secret about growing a garden is that - plants grow, whether you are there or not. It is easier to kill a plant with kindness,

than it is to with neglect.

More Gardening articles can be found at www.start-a-garden.com