If you’re new to gardening and hoping to develop green fingers, spring is the perfect time to get busy in the garden by sowing seeds, planting and creating wildlife habitats. Now is the time to take advantage of warmer days, to enjoy the fragrance of scented plants, homegrown food and the rewards on your gardening efforts by the summer.
Growing fruit and vegetables is a great way to be sustainable and enjoy fresh produce. But we know it can be hard to get started in the garden, so we’ve put together some top tips from the two farmers to help make your garden flourish…
Know Your Garden
Before any planting can begin, it’s always a good idea to get to know your garden. Is your garden north or south facing? Where in your garden gets sun and shade? These questions will help you plan your planting and create a garden that thrives. We also suggest that you find out what type of soil you have. An easy way to find this out is by doing a soil test (using a soil test kit), so you know what plants you can grow.
Utilise The Garden Space You Have
You don’t have to have a large garden to have green fingers. You can garden in your patio, window box, allotment or any size garden you may have. Using pots, planters or even our (empty) sharing tins can be a great way to garden in urban areas.
Start Small
When getting into gardening, it is easy to take too much on at once, start small and build your garden one seedling at a time.
Compost
Composting your food and garden waste (and of course our plastic-free packets, too) is a great way to have nutrient-rich food for your garden. You can put your compost in your at-home composting unit or on your compost heap. Take a look at our guide to home composting blog for tips on composting at home.
Attract Wildlife
Wildlife not only brings your garden alive but also promotes biodiversity, pest control by encouraging natural predators and generally benefits the wider environment. You can attract wildlife by having an insect hotel, compost bin, pond, bird box and feeder, long grass and pollinating plants.
Planting in April/May
April and May is the best time to plant most of your vegetable seeds after your last frost. These include corn, broccoli, beetroot, kale, green onions, herbs, carrots, lettuce, peas and many more.
Now is the time to sow seeds – some plants need to be sewn into a seed tray and kept undercover, whereas some can be sown directly into the soil. You can usually find planting information on the seeds packet.
Not only do our crisp packets make a great addition to your compost, but they also are perfect for planting seeds. You can place seeds or cuttings, along with some compost, into an empty crisp packet and plant it straight into the ground. The packet will slowly decompose, leaving your flowers and plants blooming!
Benefits of Gardening
Gardening can have some great benefits for the environment because plants are a critical resource as they support most life on earth. Plants release oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide and provide habitats for wildlife, food for us and even regulate the water cycle.
Getting outdoors and surrounding yourself with nature can also have enormous benefits on your well-being. So, enjoy your garden and get outdoors this spring!
