10 Free Gardening Resources for Beginners

2019 was the year I started to take pride in our tiny yarden. Prior to this I’d be researching outdoor furnishings rather than plants, and nowadays you’ll find my phone filled to the brim with lists and ideas on what to sow next, when to take cuttings and writing blog posts on Gardening Resources for Beginners. I am hooked, and possibly a nerd too.

There’s lots of information out there and so much expertise, which can be a bit daunting when you first don the gardening gloves. I say just enjoy it and give gardening a go. It’s that simple. If one of you comes away from this blog post with soil under your fingernails I will be happy.

1. It all started with Monty Don’s Big Dreams; Small Spaces and Gardeners’ World. I’ve learnt so much from these two shows because you see a variety of spaces and ideas that can work for all budgets. From as simple as creating windowsill garden (if you’re tending and caring for a plant, you’re a gardener in my eyes) to managing beds, borders and lawns. Both these shows gave me confidence to learn about the space that I have and to not be afraid to give things a try.
2. Facebook Group: Gardening Hints, tips and advice UK. This is a great resource for amateur and experienced gardeners. Plus it livens up my Facebook feed with plants and things I’m actually interested in.
3. PlantNet identifier. There are lots of plant identifier apps out there. This one was recommended on the above group and I use it quite a lot. It was really useful when I started sorting out our space to see what plants we already have and what would work best with them. It’s also really useful when you’re walking around your neighbourhood and want to copycat a neighbours plant selection!
4. Your local garden centre or nursery. Ask them in person, follow them on social media and check out their websites for tips and advice. They’ll have an idea of what plants will work in your garden as well as familiarity with your local climate.
5. Looking to try growing vegetables? Project Diaries is such a great resource on Youtube by Lee Gardener for guides on growing vegetables using free, very cheap or recycled materials. You can also find the Project Diaries group on Facebook for more tips and growing advice. A great community.
6. Square Foot Gardening book by Mel Bartholomew, the founder and inventor of the Square Foot Gardening method. This was a game changer for me. Lee from Project Diaries introduced me to this method and then I realised it was the perfect idea for our small space and veg trough. SFG is an easy to understand method of planting vegetables (or companion flowers) into square foot areas rather than into rows. Perfect for small spaces.
7. Youtube expert Charles Dowding is invaluable for timesaving ways to grow and harvest vegetables. I learnt how to multisow, when to transplant, when to harvest and learnt so much about different types of compost. Riveting stuff. 
8. Month by month guide by Paddock Allotments which tells you what fruit and vegetables to grow each month. Super useful!
9. Bloom magazine. A beautiful and useful mag that is filled with gardening, nature and green space inspiration.
10. Not forgetting Instagram. There’s a huge gardening community out on the gram and these are just some of the gardening accounts I enjoy and follow: Rekha.garden.kitchen, Highpeakgarden, Tinygardenat29, the_hairy_horticulturist/ and @the_mothercookergarden.

Now go forth and plant something!