Want to have a long, healthy and fulfilled life? Make gardening part of it! I know, it sounds too good to be true, but it’s truly a hobby that can improve your health and well-being since it offers a low-intensity workout and it gives you a rewarding purpose which is caring for plants.

The outcome, the fruits of these plants, means your efforts aren’t in vain, so don’t be surprised if you end up somewhat happier when you become a gardener and start spending your time in the company of plants; seeing the fruits of your labour is something that would motivate you further to delve deeper into the hobby and make the most of it.

Same as with any hobby, what you need is to get in the habit of doing it because even though you may be the most motivated person in the world to start with it, things could shift in the other direction easily after seeing the progress doesn’t go as fast as you thought it would, or your skills need some refinement to get the wanted result.

If you intend to make this hobby part of your life and take it seriously, turning it into a habit, here are ways to go about it.

Consider the Plants

We all have that plant that we truly like, but that alone doesn’t suffice to include it in our gardens. What you need is to consider the plants’ needs and requirements in terms of soil and climate, first and foremost. Additionally, you ought to think of the space in your home that would be best for them, as well as the size of the pot in favour of their thriving, providing them with the needed space for proper root growth.

If you’ve had your mindset on vegetables, and growing your own fresh eco produce eliminating the chemicals from your daily menu, then look into the vast options of stylish and sturdy veggie pots available on the market, assessing their sizes, designs and materials, but not forgetting to consider the features too that would come in handy with your gardening, such as self-watering.

Speaking of which, it’s equally important to select the vegetables you like to eat and perhaps enrich your garden further with herbs too that you find essential in your meals; what this means is you can’t just decide on what your garden would consist of based on how low-maintenance some vegetables are, you have to let your palate lead you!

Watering Chores

Yes, this is the chore that creates most headaches for beginner gardeners; some end up overdoing it, whereas others don’t do it nearly enough and then wonder why the plants look lifeless. I get it, life can get in the way of your hobby sometimes, more so when work-related tasks need more of your attention, so it’s easy to forget when and how to water.

That’s why I mentioned earlier, the feature of self-watering with some veggie pots makes them the best investment a beginner gardener can make because of the way they take off the watering chore from your priorities. You won’t have to worry whether or not your plants are getting the right amount of water because they get to use up as much as they need through capillary action, i.e. wicking; just fill up the reservoir when needed and your chore is done.

Keep a Journal

You may not be that much of a fan of keeping journals but they sure prove to be essential when you want to take gardening seriously. Not only do you have the chance to keep a record of your plants’ growth and changes, getting to notice a problem and nipping it in the bud, but you could also use it to save up some of your quality heirloom seeds for future planting, for instance.

Apart from this, it would help you keep track of your chores, how often you do them, and serve as a reminder even. In case you want to reap the benefits of technology, you might also try using garden journal apps.

The Soil

More often than not, a beginner gardener forgets the importance to carefully choose the soil; think of it as necessity, same way you would when choosing the veggie pots. Every plant has specific needs, much like we people do, that’s why prior to buying the plants or planting them, you must have the suitable soil.

When doing the mistake of buying one that’s inadequate, you risk seeing you gardening efforts produce no fruits which could lead to your reduced motivation with time. Moreover, from time to time, you might also have to take care of the soil too be it with mulch or compost, and finding out more about these two, as well as when and how to use them would help you improve your skills and thrive in the new hobby together with your garden!