So, like many others in one of the fastest-growing areas in Victoria, you’ve just become a homeowner. Now what? No matter whether you’ve bought a brand-new home or something with a few miles on the clock, it’s time to think about those three dreaded letters: D. I. Y.
Unless you’ve bought a place that you know needs work, that DIY probably begins outside in the garden. But if you’ve never done any gardening before, just that alone can be daunting enough. Where do you begin?
Take things Slowly
It can be tempting to hit your local store, grab a load of tools, seeds and anything else you can think of, and begin rampaging around your new garden attempting your new gardening skills. Chances are the only place that ends is in disaster. Start slow, have a think about what you want to do with the garden. Do you want a flower bed, a seating area, or somewhere for pets to play, make sure you have a plan.
The right tools
Gardening doesn’t have to be complex or costly, but you do need a few tools, depending on the kind of garden you have, or are creating. These include:
- Shovel
- Rake
- Secateurs
- Watering Hose
- Lawnmower
A decent pair of gardening gloves can save your hands too, and something soft to kneel on can keep you from knee pain. With that, you have everything you need to create the garden of your dreams. Or a flower bed and a lawn, as it’s sometimes known.
Start with the easy plants
Some plants are temperamental, you think everything is going fine and then you turn your back and everything goes wrong. If you are new to gardening, you want something that can survive your DIY skills. Hardy perennials, that is plants that flower year-round and can pretty much survive on their own, are the best choice.
Examples that look great and can thrive in most soils are:
- Daylily
- Yarrow
- Penstemon
- Spiderwort
Between them, they will give colour for most of the year and are likely to do well in most situations.
The important thing about gardening is to ask questions. Whether it’s people you know or online help, whatever you want to do with your garden, someone has done it before, wrote a blog about it, filmed a YouTube video and probably recorded a podcast too. There is information everywhere to help you, and whatever your dream garden is, you can find exactly how to achieve it with a little patience.
