How do I become a good gardener?

[PeasNotBeans]

Ex husband has left and he always did all the gardening as he preferred it to housework. There are a few things I would like to have (a couple of trees, sweet peas, wild areas, snow drops, dog roses, those tiny bushy daisies) and I would also like to know how to care for most of what is there.

People keep telling me it’s easy but I have no idea where to begin.

I am a beginner too. It helps if you have a friend or relative who knows a bit (we used them for initial plant ID) then google is your friend. I also watch gardeners world which should start up again soon.

If you want to grow sweet peas, now is the time to plant seeds. The seed packet will tell you what to do. I grow mine in toilet rolls so the roots can grow long then put it in the ground. They need something to grow up.

I would Google the plants you want and you will find guidance on how to grow them. I find it fun learning but all.

Get a subscription to Gardeners World and watch all the back catalogue of gardening programmes, most are on BBC i player.
Being a good gardener is the ultimate goal of most gardeners, few of us reach it, but there is real enjoyment to be had on the way!
All gardeners have disasters and the learning process gives great satisfaction. The joy of achievement, be it small or large is so satisfying.

The most important thing is to think about what you have done and what the results have been.

Remember your garden and its conditions are unique, so there will always be things where you have to obey the traditional advice, but a lot more things where you can push the boundaries.

A very good gardener and nursery manager once said to me "I never give up on a plant until I've properly killed it three times".

And my mother said "it really annoys me when people tell me I have green fingers - it's not, it's skill, knowledge, and years of experience".

Most plants want to live, you will learn so much from just trying things and seeing what you like and what works for you. You also don't have to do everything at once. Get a tray of sweet pea seedlings when frosts have gone. Decide where you want to plant trees and look into what variety you fancy. Once you start and get the bug it is quite exciting!

Oh and visiting gardens is great for inspiration - ngs scheme is brilliant especially the cup of tea and cake 🙂

Thank you so much all.

I have some wonderful roses that I don’t want to ruin so I’ll get googling. Maybe sweet peas will be my first attempt at gardening.

Just to add, keep reading and posting on here.

It's definitely worth learning how to look after roses as they are the prima donnas of the garden!
Everything else, just look them up individually and see when to plant, how to look after etc.
I'm a fairly experienced gardener but things don't always make it regardless of how well you look after them! If they're not happy, they're not happy and that's that.
It's worth keeping a diary and writing in bits like when to prune certain things. I wanted to cut back a couple of bits but have just realised it should have been done the end of summer so I should probably listen to my own advice!

Forgot to say that the RHS website is good for advice but try not to faint at the cost of the plants!!! Buy them elsewhere!

I started out by doing things I enjoyed in the garden.

I have no idea if I'm a good gardener, but I've just spent a couple of happy hours rescuing crocus and snowdrops from an impending digging out of some crappy "grass" (90% moss, plantain, daisy and dandelion) to make way for a load of shrubs and things. Also digging up a redundant yew. I am tired and muddy and it feels so good after weeks of miserable zoom chats. So, I am a contented gardener (except I think the snow killed a rather nice hebe. Boo)

I love the fun of growing from seed, but if it leaves you cold, buy plugs. Find what garden things actually give you pleasure, and try to eliminate things you don't enjoy as much (I will not take responsibility for roses, they stress me out.)

Get decent tools too. I got a hori hori and it is fantastic!

www.niwaki.com/store/hori-hori/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA1KiBBhCcARIsAPWqoSrPgenLie0W1rN_GnvhJEiNOZ45rLQ1TbiU8n7qmqP4uvheJJ7gjhgaAskxEALw_wcB

except I think the snow killed a rather nice hebe. Boo Try to think of it as creating a planting opportunity

This is true.

Get decent tools too. I got a hori hori and it is fantastic! I can see that, a wide flat sharp-edged blade that you can use for all sorts of digging, uprooting and planting operations, but it's not cheap, is it? I think the temptation to "stick it in heavy clay soil and yank back hard" will be too hard to resist for me.

Nice saw on that site too, but almost as expensive as a Silky. Never sure whether it's better to go for cheaper ones and regard the blades as consumables, or pay a lot more and hope they keep their edge for longer.

@MereDintofPandiculation

except I think the snow killed a rather nice hebe. Boo Try to think of it as creating a planting opportunity

Love this perspective! But why is it that it is always the plants I like that this happens to? 🤨

The Weekend Gardener by Monty Don was my bible when I first had a garden of my own. It's aimed at beginners, advises what jobs you should be doing and when, assumes you don't have much time and remembers gardening should be enjoyable.

£24 is a pretty good birthday present price point though. And it really has been stupendous for all sorts. Plus you can channel Kill Bill at stubborn weeds, declaring "I need Japanese steel", which never grows old.

And it has a SHEATH!

I've been gardening since 1984 when I bought a house with a nice garden and was terrified of messing it up.

All these years later I love it. I watch gardening programmes have subscriptions to gardening magazines, currently Gardener's World, plus I now know so many people to chat to, exchange plants and pass seeds on to.

I do make mistakes still and often have to move things as they are in the wrong place or not growing properly or I'm not so keen on them.

You will pick it up as you go along if you are keen and friends and neighbours are a huge help if they enjoy gardening too.

Good luck and happy gardening

If you aren't sure what things are, it is easier to wait until they flower to identify them. If you still can't find out (and I don't recommend the so-called plant id apps) then take a wander round the local garden centres, look at all their plants and shrubs until you find the same plant that you have, then take a photo of the label.

The RHS website has loads of info on different plant species, and also a very good pruning guide. Different things need pruning at different times of year - you don't want to give something a trim and cut all the shoots off that are carrying the new year's flower buds for instance.

Different things need pruning at different times of year - you don't want to give something a trim and cut all the shoots off that are carrying the new year's flower buds for instance.
When I first started gardening the Rites of Pruning was considered an esoteric art. It's not.
As a rule of thumb, prune something the season after it flowers. For example: for a spring-flowering shrub don't prune in February and chop off all the buds! Let it flower in Spring and then prune in Summer, which will give it a good 9 months to produce next year's growth and flowers. It's obvious once you think about it.

• Check where your sun rises and sets, and where the sunny and shady bits of your garden are. Then search for plants that are good under trees, in full sun, part shade etc.
• learn the difference between perennials, biannuals, annuals, half-hardy annuals so you don't expect something to come up every year when it's actually a one-time only plant.
• Accept that you're going to kill some things, but have great success at others.
• Have a go at growing from seed, from seedlings, plug plants and mature plants - all are allowed!
• Treat your garden like you're furnishing a room; you don't put a dining chair in every corner, so buy more than one plant if you like it and group together for impact.
• Go for broke with summer pots; bedding plants don't have to cost the earth. Put a thriller, filler and spiller in each one - Pinterest is really good for plant combos.
• try and use your local nursery or garden centre if you have one, rather than the plant section of B&Q - they have more variety than the bog standard plants.