Raise Your Own Garden! A Beginner’s Guide

Growing your own produce is an excellent way to ensure your family has good, nutritious food for a fraction of the cost. With a garden, you can rest easy knowing you won’t have to break the bank to feed your family either. If you’re new to gardening, and aren’t sure where to begin, we have some useful tips and information for you. By following these simple suggestions, you’ll create an abundant garden that provides for your family in many ways.

I Don’t Have Any Gardening Experience, Where Do I Start?

No matter what your skill level, gardening can be a fun and rewarding pastime. The first step in growing a garden is planning. Decide what types of vegetables you and your family will actually eat so as to avoid waste. Once you know what you want to plant, the fun can begin. Follow these steps to get going:

Buy Seeds for Your Garden

There is nothing quite as satisfying as watching seeds sprout and growing to maturity. Choose vegetable and herb seeds. Pay special attention to the needs and requirements of the vegetables. Purchase seeds that will thrive in the environment in your allotment or garden at home

Gather Supplies and Equipment

Before you begin, gather your gardening tools and a pair of gloves to protect your hands. Hand tools are perfect for raised bed gardening, for tending potted plants, and any other type of gardening. Some other things you will want to have on hand include seed starting trays, pots, or raised beds.

Prepare the Garden Area

One of the oldest ways to plant garden vegetables in the ground. However, this may not be an acceptable option for your garden. Raised beds are a preferred method of gardening for many people in the UK. Raised bed kits make it easy to get started.

Work on Improving the Soil

Plants, especially vegetable plants, need soil that’s packed full of nutrients to reach their full potential. Remember, the better the soil, the better the plants and harvest. Amend your raised beds and or garden with rich topsoil that’s been mixed with manures and compost.

Get Your Timing Right

When starting a garden from seed, it’s a good idea to plant them indoors in seed trays in January or February. Be sure they get plenty of light and water. By the time of the last frost, your young plants will be ready to move outdoors into the garden. But beware, plant outdoors too early and your plants may not survive. Too late and you may not get a good harvest.

Watch as Your Garden Grows

As spring turns to summer, your garden will be in full production mode. Be sure to check your plants on a daily basis to make sure they have enough water and to gather your harvest. During the late summer months, the vast majority of your plants will be mature enough to bear fruit. This is a busy time for a gardener, but it’s also the most rewarding. Just imagine your family enjoying all the fresh produce you’ve grown. You can also share your crop with friends, neighbours, and co-workers.

Preserve Your Harvest

It’s nearly impossible to eat everything that’s ripe in your garden every day. Therefore, you’ll need to decide how to put things away for the winter. Canning is a good way to preserve vegetables, but it’s not the easiest. For most of your garden harvest, consider blanching and then freezing. This technique keeps the crisp texture of the vegetables as well as the vibrant, healthy colour. When you want to eat them, just thaw, cook, and enjoy.

Ready to Plant a Garden?

When you’re eating from your own garden, you know exactly where your food is coming from. It’s also a great way for the family to spend time together and to get exercise. Involving children in the planting, caring for, and harvesting of vegetables is a fantastic way to teach them responsibility and a useful skill. You can even get your children gardening tools just for kids. If you’ve never gardened before, we understand it can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.

From seeds and soil to garden tools and accessories, QGS has everything you need. Our products are all carefully curated to provide you with exceptional value and service for years to come. Simply visit QGS Online and peruse our DIY vegetable gardening section to see our line of products. Should you have any questions, please contact us and one of our wonderful associates will be happy to assist you.