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Looking to start a hobby that will get you outdoors and in shape? How about a hobby that you can see actual results in only a few days after starting? Maybe you would be interested in a hobby that will not only give you physical and mental benefits but will also provide fresh produce for your table? Perhaps more up your alley would be a hobby that makes people stop, stare and say “wow!” which provides positive feelings of accomplishment to flood through your bones?
Nodding your head while reading that impromptu questionnaire or just plain interested in what hobby could provide all of that and more? Then you definitely want to check out gardening! That’s right – gardening.
Gardening is one of the most rewarding hobbies out there, regardless if you garden for a stunning visual display of flowers or your garden to provide your family with fresh fruits and vegetables. But what if you actually don’t have a garden at this time but you are interested in starting one? Then keep reading as today we are going to look at how to get started on your own backyard garden.
Determine What You Are Planting
The first step to starting your own backyard garden is simple – decide what you are planting.
Will you make a garden bed of vegetables and one for fruits? How about herbs? Or do you want to grow purely flowers and greenery? Deciding what you want to plant will allow you to make the other decisions required when starting your own backyard garden a breeze.
Choose Your Land
Determining where you are going to set up your backyard garden is a big step because you want a plot of land that receives a significant amount of sunlight to provide your plants with UV growing power but you also want a plot that will get a couple of hours of shade a day.
The ideal plot will also be protected from the winds, either by the house or other standing structure, or even a tree line. This is important because most plants cannot withstand harsh winds with changing temperatures, so protection is a must!
Set Up a Water Supply
Any type of garden – whether you have flowers in a pot, shrubs lining your driveway or a full-scale fruit and vegetable garden in your backyard – requires a steady water supply. All plant life will need ample water and depending on the climate in your area? Rainfall is not enough.
If you are going to be starting a backyard garden, you will need some sort of water supply. This supply can be a water hose that you use in the evenings to give your plants a soaking (during the hot times of the day, watering can actually cause the leaves of the plant to burn). Some people use filtered rainfall from a collection barrel or an irrigation system that leads water from another source directly into the garden beds.
Another option is a lawn sprinkler as it not only gives your garden beds a good soaking, you will be able to maintain your lawn as well. Bonus? Kids love them so head over the Backyard Boss for more information!
Compost and Fertilizer – Homemade or Bought?
You will need to fertilize your garden in some sort of way to ensure that your plants will receive the proper nutrients and vitamins they require to grow to their full potential. Fertilizer can come in many shapes and forms as you have the choice of fertilizer sticks, garden potting soil that contains fertilizer or using an above-ground method such as compost.
There are basically two options when you look at your chosen method for fertilizer for your garden – homemade or bought. Bought fertilizer is definitely more convenient when it comes to time management as you only have to open the package and spread as per direction. However, out are going to expel more carbon emissions using this method and sometimes, you can’t be exactly sure of what is in your fertilizer and if it’s the best choice of your plants.
Homemade fertilizer is made as compost. Compost is essentially recyclable items that are broken down through a turning and fermenting process into a crumbly brown mixture. This mixture contains all the nutrients and vitamins that your plants need. It also has the bonus of reducing your weekly garbage as compost is made from old newsprint, eggshells, coffee grounds, food scraps and more!
Conclusion
Gardening can be for fun, food, exercise, or to get in touch with nature in a one on one setting. Whatever your reasons for starting your own garden, you will not be disappointed once you get your hands into the dirt and start truly putting your back into it. gardening can be a solo project or you can use it as a tool to bond with your children, teach them responsibility (both in nature and how to take care of something by using the garden as a learning tool – for example, making them weed the garden on a regular basis for a reward), and you can use your garden to release all the stresses of your daily life – both physically and mentally.
So why not take the time this weekend to choose a plot of land, determine what you are going to plant and get to work? Your body will thank you as it receives physical exercise combined with soaking up the benefits of nature (think Vitamin D) and your mind will thank you as it clears itself of tension, stress and anxiety.
The bonus part of having a garden? The beautiful fresh flower arrangements you can put around your house or the delicious dishes you can serve to your family from right outside your door!
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