Dirt, Seeds, a Little Love, and Water

Written By Simply Sydney .

“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments”.

Janet Kilburn Phillips

When I first started gardening, I was SO eager to harvest a bountiful crop. I planted 1 tomato plant, some flowers, and a squash plant in a tiny 4x4 “raised" bed” and hoped for the best… Needless to say, it didn’t go bad, but it also didn’t go great either. Fast forward ten years later and I’ve definitely learned a thing to two… So this post is dedicated to both the novice and seasoned gardener. My mantra? It’s all an experiment, Just keep trying until you get the results you want.

Here are my top 5 gardening tips that I’ve learned on my journey with plants.

  1. I put this at the top because it’s been the most valuable to me thus far. ONLY PLANT WHAT YOU LIKE. You do not have to plant the entire vegetable section from the grocery store. I mean, why would you plant tons of cucumbers if you don’t like them? Ya know? Figure out what vegetables and herbs you use the most for your meals and go from there. A companion planting chart is really helpful here. For example, your family really loves squash? Then plant it with some companion plants and see what happens. Here is a great companion planting chart from Farmers Almanac: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/companion-planting-guide

  2. Don’t be afraid to try. You do not have to be an expert on plants to grow a bountiful garden that supplies your kitchen in the growing months. Some good dirt and water go a long way. Often, I just stick seeds or starter plants in the dirt ( I always make sure they are compatible with the plants around them first) to just see how it goes. Win some, lose some. Don’t try it with an expensive and rare flower plant like the one from Dennis the Menace( IYKYK), but don’t be scared to plant some veggies and herbs. My personal favorite herbs are basil and lemon balm. They seem to thrive in my zone ( 8a) and they both come in handy in my kitchen.

  3. Water at the roots! I learned this from my dad after years of watching him tend the plants at their farm market. Watering from the roots not only gets the water directly to the source, but it also helps keep the blooms and fruits/veggies from getting soaked and potentially burned up. I also personally like to water in the very early morning before the sun is up high or late in the evening.

  4. Read this, then read it again… YOU WILL NOT get a lush and vibrant crop like you’ve seen on instagram posts by planting plants in rows and following spacing rules. It works well for large production, but for the kitchen garden, I’ve found that ditching the traditional way of ‘row crops’ makes for a more full and thriving garden. Companion planting and not following spacing rules allows plants to thrive together creating a biome that supports itself and rarely requires pest control. My main issue every year are Japanese beetles, but outside of that, companion planting has allowed my plants to thrive long into the season.

  5. Your soil matters. A few years back, I had the opportunity to take a school gardening course for educators. There, I learned about the lasagna model for raised bed gardening. Essentially, it’s creating layers of rich soil and natural materials that help your plants thrive. When filling my raised beds, I do not fill them with just topsoil or potting soil. Instead, I do this. Layer one is cardboard (old amazon boxes work great for this). I layer the ground with them. It helps cut back on the weeds and will decompose naturally. Next up, I layer in large sticks or logs. This helps with drainage. Then I put in some well screened topsoil. On top of that I like to layer in either leaves or straw, they’ll break down and provide some rich nutrients for the plants. Next to the last layer is compost. I personally like black cow (it comes in a yellow bag). Last, I put in a thick layer of organic potting soil. Mine comes from a local farm here in SC, but I also love to use Whitney Farms potting soil as well. Using this method has worked so well for me. It also cuts back on the amount of watering I have to do, even in the hot summer. Win win.

If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’re encouraged to get out and get gardening! I’ll warn you though, it can be rather addicting to grow your own herbs and veggies! Best of luck on your growing journey!

Xo- Sydney

Simply Sydney .
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Howdy, Y’all!