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How to grow stuff: A beginner's guide to gardening (and seven top tips)
If I were to plot my journey as a gardener, it would start with a basil plant from Tesco. I kept it on the windowsill of my university hall bedroom (it could have easily become an ashtray if left in the kitchen) and, when I came home in those cerulean-hued nights of summer term, its sweet heady scent would hit me like a forgotten essay deadline.
That was 10 years ago and, last summer, when I was writing my first book, How to Grow Stuff, I made sure to include herbs – from seed and supermarket – because my experience would suggest that once you’ve learned how to keep a shop-bought basil plant alive, you’ll wind up wanting to grow your own from seed eventually.
I’ve been gardening in earnest for the past three years. I think the roots of my green fingers were laid in childhood, maybe before – my grandfathers were keen gardeners – but they only made themselves known when I became the custodian of a north-facing, wind-battered balcony in south London.
I moved in on Valentine’s Day, and the concrete box that would become my sky garden had a couple of skimmia japonica (one remains, having survived several containers and an infestation of scale insects), some sad-looking heathers and masses of potential.
Now the balcony has evergreen foliage, some substantial planting and seasonal microgreens on the go. The shoots from bulbs hint at more exciting things to come.
These days, I do less shopping-masquerading-as-gardening – going to Columbia Road market for established plants to chuck in pots on rotation – and more growing from seed, propagating and over-wintering, with varying levels of success.
But I am still a proud rookie gardener: I can tell the difference between clay and sandy soils, and what to grow in them, but ask me about mixing compost and you won’t glean much. I can get a crop of sweet peas to bloom from seed until September (although my mum’s made Bonfire Night last year), but I’d be stuck if you wanted me to deal with that black spot your rose can’t shake. Here’s some advice for beginner gardeners that I’ve gleaned along the way.
Talk to people
I kept my gardening habits under wraps for a while, largely because I didn’t feel like I was much of a gardener, but also because I didn’t think people my age would care – many were bemused by my own interest in it. It turns out that a lot of us like gardening: it can be as easy to talk about as the weather. There’s also a huge gardening community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I’d recommend following Gardeners’ World on all three for starters. Ask questions, you’ll be amazed at what you discover.
Support your your local garden centre
Flower markets are fun, if only for the range and the low prices, but if you’ve got a proper shopping list try to find a nursery. They exist even in the most urban environments – I live in Camberwell, where there are three nearby – and are the best place to buy plants. It’s remarkable what can be moved on public transport, but for the car-free most places do delivery and I’ve long been a fan of ordering compost online – you can get a huge variety on Amazon, but specialist sites include compostdirect.com and thecompostshop.co.uk.
Follow the seasons
Respect the gardening calendar (see “What to grow and when”) – even if you simply start with the monthly advice provided by the RHS. With time, you’ll realise that if you give gardening patience, it more than gives back: perennial plants will go to seed, fade, and sprout new green shoots which never fail to delight. Understanding the seasons will answer a lot of other questions about your garden, such as whether a plant is dead or dormant and when to look out for problems.
Join a community garden
Getting involved with a community garden may be a little challenging – I spent months emailing local ones to no avail – but it’s worth it once you join. I volunteer at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, a beautiful and sprawling space that has Victorian walled gardens, greenhouses and endless projects on the go. You will do – and learn – masses.
Plan – but only once you’ve made a few mistakes
In September 2015, I tried to plant 150 bulbs and a couple of crops of mustard leaves and chard into a ramshackle container garden measuring less than five square metres. Unsurprisingly, very little of it came to fruition. In January 2016, I sat down, drew out diagrams of my space, read and researched and came up with a plan. Once your ambitions grow, you’ll need to figure out how to make them work – but I’d strongly recommend undertaking a well-meaning experiment to establish what you want to achieve first.
Don’t splash out right away
I can’t stress it enough: a lot of garden inspiration on sites such as Pinterest is designed by professionals, styled by professionals and photographed by professionals. It can be so tempting to look at glossy gardening magazines and splash out on fancy containers, plants and other gubbins that may have needs beyond your abilities. I started out with tin can pots (another Pinterest suggestion I’d advise with extreme caution – drilling in drainage holes can be more hassle than it’s worth) and special-offer plant plugs before graduating to decent, balcony-friendly containers. I recommend bayandbox.com), elho.com and morethanpots.com.
Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t turn out right
Admittedly, plants dying – or even failing to thrive – can be a frustrating experience. But it’s also an educational one: I look back on my early plant disasters and know far more about why they died and what I did wrong as a result. I’d always advise reading up on a new plant purchase to give it the best chance at life, but it’s just as important to read about what went wrong with it - start by Googling the plant and its symptoms - and you’ll be able to avoid pitfalls in future. And don’t give up: use what you’ve learned to give it another go.
Six essential questions for the novice gardener
1) What should I grow?
This comes down to your space and what you want out of your garden. Do you want to grow flowers, edibles or both? Do you want to fill your space with plants or create an outdoor room for living and entertaining? Use the compass app on your phone to work out what direction your growing space faces, and check whether your soil is clay-based or sandy. From there, the RHS plant finder will help massively. www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-Form
2) Is it dead – and did I kill it?
Annual plants grow from seed, bloom and die in a season while perennials will die back before returning next year. If you’ve thrown away the label and can’t wait to find out, first Google it or use a plant identifying app such as PlantSnapp - their experts can help. As a last resort, gently uproot the plant and check its roots – healthy white ones mean it’ll live to fight another day. If it has died, try not to be disheartened – give it another go, and you’ll know far more about keeping it alive next time.
3) Is buying plug plants cheating?
No! Growing from seed is satisfying but often frustrating, and you have to be organised enough to sow in time for plants to develop for the season. Buying good-quality starters or plugs can lead to stronger plants. I generally do a bit of both, as well as taking cuttings from grown plants.
4) What kind of plant food should I use?
Container, fruit, vegetable and bedding plants will all benefit from feeding, and rarely during winter. Although there isn’t technically a one-size-fits all fertiliser, tomato feed will benefit most plants in flower. I like to mix slow-release food pellets in with the potting compost I fill containers with to ensure six months of nutrition.
5) What type of compost should I use?
Houseplants such as orchids and cacti benefit from specialist composts, but for containers and seedlings stick to soil-based multipurpose. Use John Innes No 1 to start plants off, then graduate to Nos 2 and 3 as they need repotting. If you are a container gardener, make sure you clean pots with warm water before re-using them to get rid of any disease.
6) Do I have to garden organically?
Growing without the use of chemical fertilisers and pest control is an admirable pursuit and one well-worth following, but when you’re starting out, making garlic sprays to get rid of aphids when they’re devouring your newly grown pansies can seem an ambition too far. I’d recommend starting with organic fertilisers, such as fish blood and bone, liquid comfrey and seaweed (the latter two are good for not attracting foxes).
How to Grow Stuff – Easy, No-Stress Gardening for Beginners by Alice Vincent is out now (Ebury Press, £12.99) To order your copy for £10.99 plus p&p call 0844 871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk
For more urban gardening, follow Alice on Instagram.com/noughticulture