• Home
  • About Me
  • Shop My Favorites
  • The Garden
  • Contact

Levenshire Chronicles

someone with too many hobbies

August 22, 2022

Tips for new gardeners 

Starting a garden can be overwhelming. There are so many types of vegetables to grow, so many options of how to grow (pots, planters, in-ground, raised beds…) it’s hard to know where to start. I wanted to put together the simple list of tips to start gardening.



Start Small

My first suggestion is to start small. Even if you have acres to grow your garden, start with a few plants. You can always expand later in the season. Starting with a few plants will give you a chance to learn about those plants and how to care for each type. Don’t make gardening overwhelming for yourself. 

Starting small also gives you a chance to learn about the problems you may face with your garden- what bugs start coming around, how much shade/sun does your garden get, how is your soil- once you start gardening you will start to learn more about your property.

Grow What You Like to Eat

Next, my second and most important suggestion is to grow what you like to eat. If you don’t like cucumbers, don’t listen to my recommended list of plants to start with! If you have a great first year you may end up with a lot of vegetables, so hopefully you grew the types you like to eat.



Suggested Plants for a First Time Gardener

I have planted enough plants over the last few years to know what worked and what did not as a beginner. Here is my list of plants I grew from seed that I think are great plants for a first time gardener:

  • Cucumbers 
  • Carrots 
  • Herbs
  • Strawberries

Cucumbers

Cucumbers can grow on a vine or bush. There are a ton of varieties of cucumbers. I’ve grown several types and found them easy to grow and each plant can produce a lot of cucumbers. This was my first pant I grew from seed and a great plant to start with. 


Carrots


Carrots are also, in my opinion, easy to grow. They can be picky about soil and temperature but for a beginner just put some seeds down in loose soil. Carrots can take time to germinate, so have patience. But for a beginner- pulling carrots from the ground is super satisfying. 


Herbs

Herbs! Pick what you like to eat and try growing. I started with basil. I now grow cilantro, rosemary, green onions, parsley, several types of basil and mint! I have a post all about herbs, check it out here.


Oregano
Hot & Spicy Oregano

Strawberries

Strawberries are almost fool proof and for that reason great for beginners. There are two varieties- everbearing and June bearing. Everbearing plants will produce throughout the season, while June bearing will produce one large harvest. I have heard the June bearing plants produce the juicer strawberries, but I think both types are delicious. You can purchase in bare roof form or plant. I’ve only purchased in plant form but have read bare root are easy to start with at first. If you buy in a nursery in plant form, you will probably get to harvest strawberries right aware, while with bare root, you may have to wait a while. Give strawberries water and trim runners (or not).  The runners will produce more strawberry plants- so you can let them grow and produce more plants. 

If you have kids, strawberries are particularly fun to pick- my little one likes to hunt for the strawberries in the leaves and is so excited to pick his fruit.


Learn, Learn, Learn

Once you start, everything is a learning experience. Go to nurseries, ask questions. Watch YouTube videos. Read books. Listen to Podcasts (yes, gardening podcasts exist, which I did not know until this year). There are so many blogs about gardening full of people sharing their experiences. If you want inspiration, don’t forget to check out instagram as well. I post almost daily what is going on in my garden (the good and the bad). Here is a link to my instagram.


Finally- Just Enjoy

Just enjoy and do not stress. Gardening is never going to be perfect- which as a perfection is one of the reasons I love this hobby- I know it will never be perfect, I can just enjoy the experience.

Posted In: Garden · Tagged: garden, garden hobby, gardeners, new gardener

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome

About Me
My name is Jessica and I confess to having too many hobbies. This blog started as a way of sharing my love of gardening. But the blog has evolved to showcase my ever growing list of hobbies and my journey from working mom to stay at home mom. Thank you for joining me!

Connect

Categories

  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Kids Products
  • Meal Prep
  • Need a hobby
  • Party Prep
  • Review
  • SAHM
  • Uncategorized
  • Working Mom Knowledge
  • Workout

Popular Posts

Review of the Peloton Row

Review of the Peloton Row

Growing Tomatoes and Tomato Variety Recommendations

Afraid to Start a Garden?

Levenshire Chronicles | Privacy Policy & Disclosures

All content on this site is for informational purposes only.

Levenshire Chronicles | Privacy Policy & Disclosures

All content on this site is for informational purposes only.

Search

BROWSE THE BLOG

  • Garden
  • DIY
  • Need a hobby
  • Review
Going to be planting soon in the garden, so I spen Going to be planting soon in the garden, so I spent some time making new plant markers. I love using my label maker and these cute hot pink markers. #garden #gardening #gardener #zone7a #zone7agardening #gardenprep #springgarden #vegetabkes #vegetablegarden #veggies #sahm #gardenblog #gardenblogger #blogger
Latest read that discussed one of my favorite tv t Latest read that discussed one of my favorite tv teen shows and farming. I feel like Hilarie and I could be friends- and that she could help convince my husband that I need chickens. A fun read that also touches upon some very serious topics. Her chapters about pregnancy and motherhood were particularly touching. Her love of farming and her home are fun and inspiring. #bookstagram #gardening #sahm #motherhood #gardenlife #gardeningbook #onetreehill #hilarieburton #gardener #theruraldiaries #bookstoread
Dollar Tree Marigolds are looking awesome. Can’t Dollar Tree Marigolds are looking awesome. Can’t say the same about slide 2, the cauliflower. I can’t seem to grow cauliflower! Not sure what’s going on with this little plant! #dollartree #dollartreegardening #garden #gardening#gardener #gardenblog #gardenblogger #nj #njgarden #seeds #seedlings #zone7a #zone7agarden #zone7agardening #sahm #spring #springgarden #gardenprep #vegetablegarden #flowers #flowersofinstagram
400 Followers! It is so much fun to post about my 400 Followers! It is so much fun to post about my hobbies here and on my blog (link in bio). Thanks for joining me! #gardenblogger #gardenblog #gardener #garden #gardening #sahm #hobbies #newsahm #stayathomemom #nj #newjersey #njgarden #newjerseygarden #vegetables #flowers #vegetablegarden #flowersofinstagram
Happy Spring! We are getting closer and closer to Happy Spring! We are getting closer and closer to getting out to the garden. I have been posting on my blog (link in profile) about composting, garden prep and plant suggestions for first time gardeners. If you are starting to garden, check out the blog! #firsttimegardener #newtogarden #newgardener #hobby #spring #springtime #garden #gardener #gardening #gardenblog #gardenblogger #vegetablegarden #nj #njgarden #newjersey #newjerseygarden #gardenprep #SAHM #gardentime #zone7a #zone7agarden #zone7agardening
Flashback Friday. A love post to Sun Gold tomatoes Flashback Friday. A love post to Sun Gold tomatoes. A delicious tomato, I had a very easy time growing. My baby who had just turned one last summer was addicted to these tomatoes. I had to guard the garden from her- she would climb into the garden to get a tomato. I ate these tomatoes in salads, pasta dishes and as snacks. I already placed my order with @burpeegardening for another plant for this year. I can’t wait! #sungold #sungoldtomatoes #tomato #fbf #flashback #flashbackfriday #gardenblog #gardenblogger #garden #gardener #gardening #njtomatoes #newjerseytomato #nj #newjersey #zone7a #zone7agardening #zone7agardener #gardenprep #myburpeegarden
Don’t forget to save your containers to start se Don’t forget to save your containers to start seeds in! I planted some marigold seeds I just purchased from Dollar Tree in reused kids yogurt containers (yes, that is Elsa). #garden #gardener #gardening #dollartree #dollartreefinds #flowers #nj #njgarden #newjersey #newjerseygarden #zone7a #flowersofinstagram #seeds #gardenprep #dollartreeseeds #growing #recycle #reuse #gardenblogger #gardenblog #gardenbloggers #flowergarden #marigolds #sahm #startingseedsindoors #startingseeds
So much growth! I am growing so many new plants- i So much growth! I am growing so many new plants- including melon in the top left corner. Any melon growing tips to share? #garden #gardening #gardener #nj #njgarden #newjersey #newjerseygarden #gardenprep #gardenboog #gardenblogger #blogger #sahm #gardenprep #summergardenprep #summergarden
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 Levenshire Chronicles · Theme by 17th Avenue

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT