May someone here tell me what's the best way to start gardening?

I'm very interested in gardening, yet I'm very young and know NOTHING about it, so I'd really like some advice on how I can start or even recommendations on books that can get me started.

Welcome to the gardening world! I've made a shopping list for you.

*Potting Soil with continuous feeding plant food mixed in.
*A bag of Mulch.
*A gardening Hoe.
*Miracle Grow Liquid Fertilizer - the no mix kind.
*A Watering Can.
*Insect Spray - the kind that says it kills 100 different pests.
*Plants.

First of all, you should go to your local nursery and let them help you pick out plants/flowers that are the easiest to grow and maintain for first-timers. Picking out a difficult plant to grow will only discourage you. Next, prepare your growing area. Make it simple. Pull weeds from the roots, not just what you see above the ground. Otherwise, they'll come right back. After that, get a simple hand-held gardening hoe and a big bag of potting soil that has continuous feeding plant food in it. Get on your hands and knees and get dirty! Mix the potting soil with your dirt, use your hands, start to enjoy the feel of the earth, it'll go right to your soul. Next, make holes big enough to cover all the root of whatever you're planting. When you're planting something you bought from a store and it comes in those little plastic containers, be sure to squeeze the plastic container gently to loosen the dirt or you might pull the top of the plant right off (ahem….i've never done that, of course). If this happens, no worries, just plant the roots anyway. If you have a description tab in the plant and it says "full sun" or "part shade", listen to it. The growers mean what they say. Later in your gardening career you'll learn what plants will flourish with a little placement imagination of your own, but for now, follow those directions! Also, the description tab will have a diagram that shows you how far apart to space the plants when you put them in your freshly dug holes. For instance, you've decided to start with some lovely pink Petunias, the diagram tells you to space each plant 2 feet apart. It seems rather silly to space them that far since the plants are so small, tucked neatly in their tiny containers, right? Well, in about one quick month, those tiny Petunias will be crawling all over one another, fighting for ownership of their space and will eventually choke each other. So again, follow the grower's instructions. Same thing goes when planting seeds. The seed packet will have planting instructions. However, be kind to yourself, don't start with seeds. It's just too easy for seedlings to die from over-watering or under-watering and birds LOVE them. Just because you put plants that someone else started in your own dirt doesn't mean you're not a gardener! Mainenance is what it's all about. So after you've got your plants in the ground, get your bag of mulch and put big handfuls of it anywhere you see bare dirt. This will keep moisture where it belongs, in the ground, and weeds won't grow very well. You'll still have a few pop up so don't worry when you see them. Just reach down and pluck them right out. After mulching, fertilize. There are several great fertilizers, such as Miracle Grow, that don't require any mixing. You just buy, open, and pour! I like to use my watering can to fertilize. Miracle Grow says to pour the fertilizer over the leaves of the plants, then soak soil. You can also get time-released fertilizer pellets that you mix into the soil before you plant. Osmocote is a good brand. They make one for flowers and one for veggies. I usually get some Osmocote and toss some in the dirt whenever I plant, but I still always use my Miracle Grow! So after you've fertilized with the liquid, sit back and ENJOY your hard work. Take pictures! In two months you'll look back and be amazed at the gardener you've become. Remember to water on a regular basis. Not sure how often? Stick your finger in the dirt, close to the base of your plant. Is it dry? Water! Is it moist? Let it go another day and check again. Over anxious beginners LOVE to water their plants because it makes them feel very involved with the growing process. But you'll get yellow leaves and brown flowers or yellow leaves and small fruit. Lack of water will bring you wilted EVERYTHING. Aside from watering and fertilizing, check for insects. Look, there are a million different bugs and worms and they all do different things to different plants. It takes time to learn this stuff, but if you really want to know, do a search on the internet about garden pests. You'll learn plenty!. But as a fresh gardener, the best way to avoid getting overwhelmed with bugs is to stick with what's simple. Purchase a spray that says it kills over 100 garden pests on the label. That'll cover you until you learn more. Read its label. You'll learn some from that as well. Now, don't spray unless you really need to. If you see little holes in the leaves or little bugs on the leaves or ANYTHING that your gut tells you shouldn't be there, then you spray like the label tells you to. AND THAT'S IT! I know I've written alot here, but I read some of the answers to your question and I thought some of them were too vague and some were too complicated. Remember, you'll get different answers from different people. Follow your instincts, even if you're not confident about what you're doing. Humans have been growing things since the beginning of time, it's our nature. You'll make mistakes and kill things and that's the very best way to learn. But remember, all it takes to start is DIRT, A GARDENING HOE, A WATERING CAN, MULCH, FERTILIZER, INSECT SPRAY, & PLANTS. Now go get 'em!

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Any good books, websites, CD's on gardening which really works.

…………………….. murtyjee go to local book shop ……………. get local knowledge ……………….

Years ago I worked in a amateur way in gardening maintenance. I realice that I liked it a lot but I don't have the specific knoledge and experience to start a landscape and gardening design business. I have the feeling that I have the creativity for doing this but of course this is not all. Could someone help me telling me the kind of tools that I would require to start this gradually? Maybe I would requiere to know some landscape design software, etc. In short, what kind of tools would be necesary to have and learn. Maybe the thing would be more complex like doing an Business plan? I'll thank any advice. Chris

mower

bobcat

trimmers

Edger

Gardener: A truck or trailer to carry your equipment and debris (although some enterprising people have even started without this). A lawn mower, rake, broom, and other small hand tools. Buy your equipment used if necessary, but shop carefully.

Landscaper: Basically you need hand tools and a truck or trailer. To start with most other tools you can rent.

Interiorscaper: A car or truck is necessary, watering cans, and assorted small hand tools.

>From the basic requirements to start it would seem that interiorscaping requires the smallest capital outlay. This is correct, but starting an interiorscape business is more difficult in other ways. It requires a better understanding of the trade. Indoor plants are much more difficult to maintain. Also, acquiring accounts is not as easy as in outdoor work. Most, if not all, interiorscape accounts will be commercial, as opposed to the residential work of gardeners.

For gardeners and landscapers a truck or trailer is a must, but as I mentioned earlier it is possible to start without one for some work. If you are doing maintenance you may be able to get accounts that will allow you to use their equipment and not require you to haul away debris. You will be expected to work very inexpensively, though. If you can get a truck do so.

For both gardeners and landscapers another source of income is from clean-ups. This is simply a one-time job of cleaning up an overgrown landscape. These jobs are hard work, but can be quite profitable.

In every business you have to contend with the government. Service businesses are no different. Before you get started investigate what is required in your area. Most likely you will need a business license from your city. The state may require a contractor's license or certification for landscape contractors. Most likely your state will require a pest control license if you intend to apply pesticides. Check out all the city, state, and federal rules before you start.

misc hand tools rakes shovels

would like to do light gardening for seniors in the Blacktown or surrounding area

Depending where you live, volunteers belonging to an organization are not able to work on private property due to liability. Check with your city hall and ask if they have volunteer opportunites and does that include gardening. It's really nice that you want to help other out. I'm a volunteer coordinator for a city and have much respect for volunteers.

I always been interested in vertical gardening, I personally think that it's a unique and aesthetic way of gardening and decoration. I just want to ask…

a. What do you think of vertical gardening?
b. Have you ever tried vertical gardening?
c. Do you prefer indoor or outdoor vertical gardening?

Thanks for answering!

I've grown pumpkins this way and it's pretty cool as they take up far less space.

There is a vertical gardening forum over at the gardenweb site.

If you are hay bale gardening, tell me what plants are working for you and what plants aren't. Do you have any helpful tips about hay bale gardening?

I started doing this 3 years ago and I love it! It is so much easier than regular gardening. You're further off the ground, there are far fewer weeds and pests, it takes less water, you don't have to "till" and the old hay turns into compost when you're done!

Thanks!

I currently have 2 friends that are trying the hay bale gardening this year and so far so good. The beans and tomatoes are doing well. I didn't have time this year to try it, but will definitely try it next year.

I live in New Orleans, Louisiana and have been wanting to grow my own herbs and small plants. I don’t have experience in gardening whatsoever and I’d like to know what I should start off with and what plants/herbs are good for this climate (hot and humid). I would like to plant something within the next month. What’s good to plant at this time of year?

Oregano is such an easy herb! The benefit is that is can be used for such a wide variety of things, and it is a perennial so it will come back every year!
Other no brainers (and I know this from my own personal experience) is lemon verbena, thyme (lemon thyme as well) rosemary, mint, and lavender, and basil.
I have had some troubles with sage, but maybe it doesn't like Ohio weather, so the humid/hot might be good for it! Pretty much any herb is workable, just buy from a good source (preferably a farmer's market) and read any labels. I know having them indoors vs. outdoors makes a difference as well, so what I share is just from having outdoor herbs. (I just dug up the ground, plopped them in, and they lived!)
Good luck!

I'm especially interested in learning greenhouse and gardening techniques that aren't expensive to maintain after the initial setup costs.

I would be in a colder climate with 500-10,000 dollars to invest. Its a relaxing activity I think I'd enjoy that could pay off as fuel and energy costs continue to rise.

I'm especially interested in websites or books you think might help me out.

Thanks!

When I first started it was the library, Barnes and Nobel (they have excellent books there), your local nurseries, and of course, catalogs which have enormous amount of information describing plants, flowers and pricing of greenhouses.(www.greenhouses.com)
The best books I have found were:
Better Homes and Garden "Garden ideas and Outdoor living"
Better Homes and Gardens "New Garden Book"
"1,001 Gardening Secrets The Experts Never Tell You"
"Jerry Baker's" numerous books(Master Gardener)and of course my favorite, Paul James"Gardening by the Yard" on HG TV. Hope that helps!

If you are hay bale gardening, tell me what plants are working for you and what plants aren't. Do you have any helpful tips about hay bale gardening?

I started doing this 3 years ago and I love it! It is so much easier than regular gardening. You're further off the ground, there are far fewer weeds and pests, it takes less water, you don't have to "till" and the old hay turns into compost when you're done!

Thanks!

Hmm…gotta say my favorite plant is eggplant. I like the Bell Peppers the least. =)

I'm gardening a sunflower for a science fair project
how much water should I give and how often?

It is good to let the pot dry out once in awhile. Sunflowers do not need a lot of moisture, but of course, they like some while blossoming. Just go easy on the watering.