Hi folks-

As the subject implies, I'm literally brand new to gardening and have never done a lick of it before (with the exception of my very first tomato plant which is sitting on my balcony refusing to turn red)

I'm super excited to start gardening, but I'm a little overwhelmed with all the info out there. I've done all kinds of research, and reading, but was hoping maybe you would share some of your gardening tips, tricks or mistakes for a brand new gardener.

In case it makes any difference, I live in Southeastern Mass, which I believe is zone 6. I have seed catalogs galore, and books up the ying yang, but after reading a few posts on this site, was hoping to get some practical advice from people who had been there/done that.

Thanks!!
Deb

Welcome to our eclectic little group of posters and lurkers, Deb.

Here's a tip that will hold fast and true for you....ask about specific plants and subjects that you are interested in. Pick one and we'll all be happy to share.

(....and you get extra points if you grow garlic )

My advice - plan before you plant, decide where you want your garden (pick a site with no large trees nearby and sun for at least 6 hours), decide how big you want your garden based on how much time you can devote to it. Plant things you really love and will eat. And while you are building up your soil, plant things that are pretty easy to grow, such as tomatoes and squash and lettuce.

Welcome,

Maggie

If I may chime in with a sermonette, start slow and small. If this year it was one tomato plant, next year plant four or six and a few radishes.

I want you to want to do this for the rest of your life. IMO you'll play longer and have more fun if you stay just a bit hungry.

Oh your gonna read about people who grow yearly hundreds of cultivars of tomato. They weren't just hatched doing that, it grew on them...

I TOTALLY agree with TomC.

Definitely start small. It's unbelievably easy to get in over your head, & then instead of actually enjoying gardening, it becomes a dirt-kicking chore & everything goes to hell in a handbasket. (Can you tell that I've "been there, done that"? )

Find a nice sunny spot for your garden, spend nice fall/early winter days amending the soil - adding compost (or compost-type ingredients), & then spend the winter enjoying all those catalogs & selecting what you'd like to grow. Select things you already know you enjoy eating, plus maybe one or two newbies, which add an air of fun.

No need to get into heavy-duty compost science or intricate differences between 90 gazillion tomato varieties - plenty of time for that - lol! For now just do the basics & enjoy the journey.

Thanks! We do have our garden area plotted out and have created two raised beds to work in. So looks like we're on the right track so far. I'm sure I'll post back with lots more questions.

My newly married daughter called me last spring with a very similar question, and I do agree with the advice above, start small and work up. But the other thing is don't be discouraged by some failures.

It won't be perfect, and if you read here long, you will see very experienced gardners shaking their head about for some reason this...... didn't work this year.

This is one of my favorite quotes, and when I first read it, I was rather appalled, but the more I think on it, the more I love it, because it is the "doing" that is so important,

"If something is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly at first." You don't have to do it perfectly, you just have to do it.

I wish you the pleasure and disappointment that is the spice of gardening. Mrs.K