Getting Started in the Garden | A Rural Girl Writes

Inside: So you want to grow things? Getting started in the garden doesn’t have to be complicated. Read on as we break it down for you.

Woman holding seeds in her hand in a plant store. — Mom holding seeds from the bountiful supply at Sugar Grove Growers. *Photo courtesy of Alana Fravell*.

Simple, Sage Advice

Years ago, in our dating days when Hubs and I were young pups, he wanted to be a wildlife photographer. So one night when I was at work, he attended a seminar given by Frank Oberle, a photographer widely known in Missouri for his shots of wildlife and scenics. After the seminar, Mike ran into him in the restroom and asked him for advice, and I’ll never forget his words. The man said, simply, “Take pictures of what you like.”

I say I’ll never forget his words because, when the story was told to me, I thought his advice was trite and not particularly useful. Since then I’ve come to see the wisdom in what the man said. When you do something you love, your passion for it shows. The same holds true for any worthwhile endeavor under the sun.

And Speaking of Under the Sun. . .

So let’s start there. Grow what you like. Now, that said, if you’re from Missouri, you’re not exactly going to start an orange orchard. You do have to play within the rules of your climate. But even then you have a cornucopia of plants to choose.

From there you’ll have to decide whether to grow your plants from seed or buy transplants. The friendly folks at your local plant store (yay, Sugar Grove Growers!) can help you either way. The point is to grow plants you’re passionate about. It really is that simple.

Choose a good place to grow. Now you want to provide a good home for those treasures. If you’re starting seeds you’ll need a sunny window at the very least, some good potting soil, and little containers for your seedlings. (Pinterest has a ton of ideas for seed-starting containers.) If you find you really enjoy the process, you might want to invest in a grow light.

At some point you will need to transplant your babies–or the plants you purchased–into the ground. The subject of garden soil is vast and too lengthy to get into here, but suffice it to say, you need a healthy environment for your plants to grow. The good thing is that you can always buy bags of garden soil and potting soil if yours isn’t ideal. On a grand scale, this will be expensive, so I’d caution you to take your first baby steps as a gardener by keeping it simple. Container gardening is a good way to learn the fundamentals of taking care of plants.

Most of your plants are going to want a sunny location–six to eight hours is best. You can find plants that thrive in shade or partial sun, so it’s not impossible to have a garden if your yard is quite shady. If this is your challenge, a great place to start is to do a search on shade-loving plants.

Ideally, you’ll also want a place with easy access to water or else you’ll be carrying it.

Grow with purpose. So why do you want to grow plants? Because you’ve always wanted to try your hand at growing something? Do you want to save on your family’s grocery bill? Are you a foodie who likes to putter in the kitchen with only the freshest ingredients? Maybe you just get a kick out of seeing a seedling push its little head above the soil. No wrong answers here. It’s good to connect with your “why” because, when it’s brutally hot outside and your babies need a drink of water and you’re tired, that’s when you’ll want to remember why you decided to do this in the first place.

Breaking It Down

So, to summarize:

Grow what you like.

Choose a good place to grow.

Grow with purpose.

Gardening is a wonderful hobby that has given me much joy over the years. I come by it naturally, with generations of farmers going back far on both sides of my family tree. But it’s not only a passion I’ve inherited. I like that it’s a partnership with God. He provides the good things of this earth for my enjoyment and benefit.

And, like the child who presents his mother with a flower grown from a single seed in a Dixie cup, I really think He gets a kick out of when I grow things.