Ready to grow your first garden? Let’s do it!
If you’re new here, welcome. My name is Karen and I’m gardening in my small suburban backyard. I’ve spent the last few years leaning everything I can about what actually works for a home gardener who wants a beautiful, productive garden that can thrive with the realistic demands of everyday life.
This page will walk you through every step of starting your fist garden. We’ll cover your vision and location for a new garden, decide what to plant, all the way to your first harvest. I’m a firm believer in growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers together, and that’s the approach you’ll find throughout these guides.
Take it one step at a time, and let’s grow your garden together.
01
What Kind of Garden Do You Want?
Before you buy a single seed or dig a single hole, get a clear picture of the garden you really want.
The most-beginner-friendly gardens aren’t typically the biggest or even the most productive: they’re the ones you actually enjoy being in. A small garden full of your favorite vegetables and flowers is more satisfying and more manageable than a big one that you dread taking care of.
Here’s some inspiration and practical guidance to help you figure out what you want to grow and what direction to take with your new garden.
Garden Inspiration
What to Grow When You Can’t Decide What to Plant
Too many options can be overwhelming at the start. This post is a good starting point for beginners: a menu of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers arranged by season with steps to help you narrow it down.
Garden Inspiration
How to Plant a Low-Maintenance Vegetable Garden
Learn how to grow a low-maintenance vegetable garden with easy-care plants and time-saving strategies for busy gardeners.
Garden Inspiration
Start the Cut Flower Garden of Your Dreams
Learn how to grow a low-maintenance vegetable garden with easy-care plants and time-saving strategies for busy gardeners.
Garden Inspiration
What Is a Potager Garden (& Why It’s the Best)
A potager is the French kitchen garden tradition of mixing vegetables, herbs, and flowers together in a beautiful, functional space. Perfect for home gardeners who want their space to be productive and lovely.
Garden Inspiration
7 Free Themed Planting Plans for a Small Veggie Garden
If you want to get started with as little friction as possible, themed planting plans are a great shortcut. Grab these free plans for your first season.
From the shop
The Magic 7 Cut Flower Garden Plan
Use this plan to grow 7 easy flowers for balanced, beautiful bouquets all summer long.
02
Where to Put Your Garden
Location is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your garden.
Take time to think through your garden placement before building beds or buying plants. These posts will help you pick the right spot for your new garden.
Garden Location
How to Find the Best Spot to Plant Your Garden
A practical walkthrough of how to evaluate your space for sunlight, soil, drainage, wind, and convenience. Read this before you commit to a location. It’ll save you from potential headaches later.
Garden Location
Growing Vegetables in the Shade: What to Plant & How to Make it Work
Don’t let a shady yard keep you from gardening. There are plenty of vegetables, herbs, and flowers that can grow in a part-shade garden.
Garden Location
How to Sheet Mulch Lawns into Thriving New Gardens
Ready to convert a patch of lawn into a garden bed without digging? Sheet mulching is my favorite, low-effort way to transform grass into a garden.
03
How to Set Up a Garden
Once you’ve picked a location, you’ll need to decide how to build your beds.
These posts will walk you through the pros and cons of raised beds, in-ground beds, and container gardens.
Garden Beds
Raised Beds vs. In-Ground Gardening: How to Choose the Best Option
My honest breakdown and review of both options, including costs, pros and cons, and a flowchart to help you decide which is right for your situation. I’ve gardened in both, and it really depends on what you need and what resources you have available to you.
Garden Beds
5 Simple Ways to Protect Wood Raised Beds for Years
If you go the raised bed route, a little upfront care will make them last much longer. These simple tips will save you from having to rebuild too soon.
Garden Beds
Container Gardening Layouts for Small-Space Gardens
No yard? Renting? Tiny patio? Containers are a good choice for special situations like these. This post covers arranging containers for maximum impact, function, and beauty.
04
Gardening Basics
Gardening is a skill shaped by experience, observation, and those willing to share their lessons with us.
I started gardening just from observing how my mom gardened and from reading lots of books. But even then I wasn’t totally prepared for the realities of growing a garden myself.
This section highlights what I most needed to know before gardening for the first time.
Gardening Basics
How to Know When It’s Safe to Plant
Between hardiness zones and frost dates, it can be confusing to know when it’s safe to put plants in the ground. This post breaks it all down so you can confidently plan and plant your garden.
Gardening Basics
How to Plan Your First Vegetable Garden
A step-by-step guide to planning your first garden season. It’s a lot to think about, but if you take it one step at a time, you can do it!
Gardening Basics
Stop Gardening Like a Farmer: 10 Mistakes Home Gardeners Make
Gardening advice is heavily influenced by farmers and professional growers. But gardening at home is different. Read this post to see why.
Gardening Basics
9 Practical Reasons to Grow Flowers in Your Veggie Patch
The why behind mixing flowers and vegetables together in the garden. Honest, practical reasons that go beyond looks.
Gardening Basics
21 Best Perennial Flowers and Shrubs for Cut Flower Gardens
Perennials are plants that come back year after year on their own. Here are my favorites to use in cut flower arrangements.
Gardening Basics
10 Garden Tools That Cut My Work in Half (Plus 3 I Ditched)
You don’t need much to start a garden, but having a few key tools will make the work faster and more fun.
Gardening Basics
Weird Facts New Gardeners Don’t Know About Growing Vegetables
Plants are weird. Here are a few things that surprised me about plants when I grew my first garden.
05
Growing from Seed
Growing seeds gives you access to incredible vegetable and flower varieties you won’t find at the store.
Plus you’ll get a head start on the season and save money in the long run.
I won’t lie, seed starting requires a little extra know-how and care. These guides will cover what you need to get started.
Growing from seed
A Complete Guide to Indoor Seed Starting
The full process of starting seeds indoors to transplanting outdoors. This is a must-read if you’ve never started seeds before.
Growing From Seed
Seed Starting Supplies for Growing Indoors
What you need for growing plant starts indoors.
Growing From Seed
Unique Seed Starting Pots and Tips for Different Budgets
You don’t have to spend a lot to start seeds at home. Here are different ways to start seeds and tips no matter what your budget is.
Growing From Seed
Are Heirloom Seeds Actually Better than Hybrid Seeds?
If you’ve been confused by all the seed terminology (heirloom, hybrid, open-pollinated, GMO), this post will clear it all up.
Growing From Seed
17 Vegetables You Should Never Buy as Seedlings
Plant these vegetables from seed directly in your garden rather than buying plant starts.
Resources
Favorite Seed Companies
Find my favorite places to buy seeds online.
07
Growing Guides
Need help growing a specific vegetable or flower?
Here are my top vegetable and flower growing guides. You’ll find tips on planting, troubleshooting, training, and more.
Growing GUides
How to Grow the Best-Tasting Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the prize of the vegetable garden. Learn how to grow the best-tasting tomatoes of your life. Once you try homegrown tomatoes, you’ll never be able to go back to store-bought.
Growing GUides
Best Sunflowers for Cut Flowers (& How to Grow Them)
Certain sunflowers are better for the vase than others. Find my favorite varieties for cutting and learn how to plant and grow sunflowers.
Growing GUides
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes from Slips
Learn to make your own sweet potato slips and see how one tuber could produce over 50 pounds of sweet potatoes.
Growing GUides
8 Tips for Growing Better Zinnias for Cut Flowers
If you want to get started with as little friction as possible, themed planting plans are a great shortcut. Grab these free plans for your first season.
08
Tending Your Garden
You’ve planned it, planted it, mixed in some flowers… but now what?
The middle of the growing season is exciting, but also brings a whole new round of questions. Here are some of my best posts on tending a new garden.
Garden Maintenance
5-Minute Gardening Habits That Make a Big Difference
Small, daily actions keep the needle moving. Here are a few garden maintenence habits to help your garden thrive without it feeling like a chore.
Garden Maintenance
Powdery Mildew: How to Deal with Disease in Your Garden
Powdery mildew is one of the most common garden diseases. Here’s how to recognize it, treat it, and prevent its spread.
Garden Maintenance
What to Plant in July for Zones 3-8
July is the halfway point in northern growing zones. See what you can plant now for a fall harvest.
09
What to Do with the Harvest
Teach a person to grow a garden and they’ll feed the whole neighborhood.
Gardens are abundant. You’ll eventually harvest more than you know what to do with. Here are just a few of my favorite things to do with an abundant harvest from the garden.
Browse here for specific vegetable and flower harvesting tips.
Garden Harvest
How to Use What You Grow in the Kitchen
Not sure how to actually cook with what you’re harvesting? This practical guide helps you turn both small and abundant harvests into everyday meals.
Garden Harvest
Make a Fresh Herb Wreath from Your Garden
A simple and beautiful craft using fragrant, fresh herbs from the garden.
Garden Harvest
6 Ways to Preserve Your Pepper Harvest
Preserve a large pepper harvest 6 different ways and what each method is best for.
Garden Harvest
8 Simple Tips to Make Fresh-Cut Flowers Last
Do these things every time to make sure garden flowers look their best for longer when cut for arrangements.
Garden Harvest
Easy Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Roast and preserve cherry tomatoes without canning. See my simple recipe and method here.