Easy plants for beginner

[michelle303]

I know this is probably such a vague question, but I'm new to gardening so I hope you'll forgive me!

Just moved into a bigger house with more garden space, so I can start experimenting in the garden now. I want to start with some plants/flowers that are relatively easy for a beginner to build up my experience.

Can anyone recommend anything?

It's quite late in the year to be starting off so if you want instant colour you'll have to nip to your garden centre to buy some plants like dahlias that are in bloom now and put them in pots. Nip to your local library or news agent and get a few gardening magazines for inspiration - or there's loads of stuff online. How about buying some spring flowering bulbs (tulips and daffodils etc) and popping them into your borders for some spring colour next year.

I would start with planning for Autumn impact. Shrubs with berries, Acers, and a Daphne or Witchhazel for winter perfume. For impact right now Chrysanthemums and Dahlias. Winter pansies will be in the shops in about 6 weeks time. This will last right through to spring.

Have a look on Pinterest "gardening for Autumn and Winter' to get an idea of what appeals.

I would take it much more slowly, tbh. You need to live with a garden for a year at least to decide what you have got already, what you like, and how you use the garden.

So I would stick to fairly inexpensive stuff like annuals, or stuff in pots you can shift around, and not commit to big stuff like shrubs. Gardening is a slow game. It's very good for people like me who are all "now now now'".

I'm not in the slow/one year camp, if I want a certain effect I will change loads of things. (It helps to have a strong and willing OH.) Others are different but it just suits my temperament.

The way I would recommend is for you to use a mixture of permanent planting and instant effect plants like annuals in season which will give a planned and somewhat established look. I use focal points and other items of interest to give the garden a story rather than just a collection of plants etc stuffed in.

Get yourself a book or two about starting gardening which will hand hold you through the basics and hopefully warn you of any pitfalls.

And good luck - the great thing about gardening is that you can change what you don't like, there is something that will make you happy out there and you will find it. There aren't many things you can say that about, are there?

I'd say that the first step is to work out what your garden is like. Do you know much sun it gets? Or what kind of soil you've got? Are there any other conditions you need to think about, e.g lots of slugs, strong wind etc.

Some plants can cope with most conditions, but even relatively easy plants can struggle if you put them in the wrong place.

First-time Gardener

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0007206828/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_m.zKzbDGHAD1C?tag=mumsnetforum-21

I really liked the book First Time Gardener by Kim Wilde to give you a few Pinter.

*pointers

Damn you autocorrect.

I'm new to gardening this year too OP and I've loved getting stuck in. I am still a complete novice, so as one novice to another, here are my tips:

Buy a beginners book. I bought a few, but the best by far is one by Alan Titchmarsh that I bought second hand for a few quid on amazon. It was recommended to me by another MNer on this board. It is called The Complete How To Be A Gardener.

Look in gardens nearby and see what you like in those gardens. Take photos of them. If you can't identify what you see, you could buy an app that allows you to send a photo and someone will tell you what it is, flowering times, soil, shade/sun requirements etc. Is a theme emerging eg shape, colours that you like?

Look at various sources for new plants. I have a wonderful garden centre not far from where I live, but it is pricey. I have spent loads in there this year, but I've also had some lovely plants from the market and from the supermarkets. I find that the market and supermarkets get things a few weeks later than the garden centre, but they are much cheaper when they do come in.

To maximize value for money, buy as many hard plants as you can.

I think most of us who love gardening started off with lots of enthusiasm and very little knowledge and made a few mistakes in choices of flowers and shrubs. All part of the fun and a gentle learning curve.
Hebes are a good shrub. They come in various sizes.
Depending on where you live your soil will range from heavy clay to free draining sandy soil. If you can't work out what type of soil you have, ask neighbours.
Some plants (camellias, rhododendrons) will only thrive in acid soil. Again, ask neighbours if the soil in your area tends to be acid or alkaline.
This time of year Garden centres are fairly quiet so ask advice from their experts.
Enjoy your garden

Typo - buy as many hardy plants as you can.

Thank you so much for all the tips.. I really do need to do more research before deciding on things! I'm excited to get stuck in though :)

I'd be looking at the neighbours' gardens and seeing what was looking good. When I moved into my present home most people in the street had camellias and azaleas so I knew acid loving plants would thrive.

I'm fairly new to gardening and have found Hebes a god send - evergreen, colourful when in flower and forgiving!

I'm going for a lot of evergreen at the moment - Fatsia (castor oil plant is its other name I think) is another and grows fairly fast

I've been surprised at my success with Buddleiha and Pieris

Crocosmia and sedum take care of themselves

Have fun with it - I've discovered things can be moved so nothing is set in stone if things start to look out of place!