The Highs and Lows of Gardening

Welcome back gardeners! As a self-taught gardener I have definitely learned some lessons the hard way in the last few weeks, and I am here to point them out in the hopes that being aware of the possible pitfalls helps you to avoid them and have a successful garden.

Here are the two biggest challenges I have faced:

The Initial Cost

While the fruit and vegetables that eventually grow are free, the cost of equipment, seeds and young plants can be a lot all at once.

It’s worth checking out thrift stores for any second-hand gardening equipment you can find although you do have to be pretty lucky, it’s not something that pops up often.

The benefits of gardening cannot be beaten

Bear in mind that if you know any established gardeners you can also ask if they have any seeds or plant cuttings that you could use – someone who knows what they’re doing is usually all too happy to help a beginner find their feet.

The Time Invested

Gardening is a time commitment, no doubt. If you have chosen to go with a lower-work garden like the type I mentioned in my last post, that’s one way to avoid this problem.

While the work of gardening is rewarding, it isn’t something you can opt out of if you don’t feel like it that week – you’d lose all your progress! That’s quite the punishment for choosing to skip a session in favor of watching a movie or going out with friends.

If you choose to garden, realistically you are signing up for a few hours of work each week and you have to stick to it.

With all that said, the benefits of gardening cannot be beaten. Growing your own vegetables is great for the environment and the produce itself is better than anything you can buy in the store.

The absolute top thing for me has been the mental and physical rewards of gardening – gardening is meditative and calming.

There is nothing more relaxing after a long week at work than a weekend spent up to the elbows in soil and plants. It’s great exercise and it’s wonderful to spend time outdoors in a space that I have created with my own hands – I’m sure you’ll agree.