Any advice into getting into gardening?

Working_Mum

Hello and welcome,
when I was looking for inspiration for my garden I posted pics on here and asked for advice. The response I got was amazing and certainly helped shape my thoughts. I update it fairly regularly so I can track my progress.

Blank Canvass Garden - Design Inspiration Needed — MoneySavingExpert Forum

My garden is always a "work in progress" which is why I love it - I can do a little or a lot or just sit there and enjoy the view. It brings me such joy every day - even in the depths of winter I love seeing the birds scooting round my lawn moving leaf mulch looking for insects.

Have you got any "open gardens" near to where you live?? We have one here and it is fab for inspiration and cheap plants - often raising money for charity there will be a beautiful garden to sit in and have a cuppa and a slice of cake to sustain you on the way round. I love our local one and my garden is peppered with plants I've bought at the open gardens I have visited.

I think a good place to start is do I want veg or flowers or both?? Maybe take an area of patio and start with some pots of easy to look after flowers and then go from there. Don't overthink things and acknowledge your precious plants may die. 

You can pick up gardening books at charity shops or there are loads of resources online - it helps to keep a file of your inspiration for future reference.

I'd definitely advise taking lots of before and during photos as this can be hugely motivating and also help shape your thoughts around changing things around if you think something hasn't worked.

Knowing where the sun falls in your garden is useful as this certainly helps ensuring you put the right plants in the right conditions. My beautiful ferns thrive in the shady areas of my garden. There can be colour in even the shadiest and darkest parts of your space.

There is a great community on here so keep posting and remember there is no such thing as a daft question!

((WM))

TheRedHerring

4 x 5 metres is not big so I suggest you get some gardening books from the library with photographs of small gardens; decide how much space you need to sit in, whether you want to grow some of your own vegetables and whether you want to mow a lawn.  Then make a plan: remember to notice where the sun shines over the area and  that some plants grow very large.
I grow vegetables in raised beds I made at my local community shed and put together in the garden, they can be interspersed with flowers that benefit the vegetables: the great thing is you can set them up on top of the lawn using a weed supressing base liner, do not make them too tall because of watering, but with age you will find they save your back.  I have some of mine set in gravel and some on the lawn, the best thing is that vegetables and fruit taste so much better eaten straight from the garden.
Failing this see if a neighbour could do with help in their garden, or volunteer at a community garden.
The main thing is to enjoy being out and active in the fresh air.