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Everyone wants to be outside when the spring season starts, which makes it the perfect time to pick up a new hobby like gardening. Spring gardening gives you ample time outside, and for all of you goal-oriented folks out there, it helps that this hobby comes with a clear objective: growing something that can actually help sustain you. While it can take some effort to get started, you’ll know your time was well worth it when you’re eating fresh fruit, herbs and veggies come summertime.
Gardening Tips
Spring Gardening: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started
InsideHook connected with the pros to give you the best advice on how to grow your own produce this yearWhile it is rewarding, gardening can be intimidating for beginners. I reached out to Allison Vallin Kostovick, a longtime organic gardener, creator of Finch + Folly, and author of The Garden Maker’s Book of Wonder, to help us amateurs find all the tools we need to grow a successful garden.
Whether you’re a freshly green thumb looking to plant a big backyard garden or an urban dweller hoping to add some herbs to your balcony, these are the essentials to start your gardening journey.
Things to consider
Add variety to your garden to increase your chance at success : You can do everything right, but you can’t control the weather, which ultimately has a lot of control over what your garden will yield. Allison recommends planting a variety of different plants, fruits and veggies. “Those wet summers where your tomatoes and peppers cry for relief are the very same summers your root veggies seem to thrive,” she shares. So, embrace variety and give yourself a better chance at success.
Don’t forget herbs: Love topping your culinary creations with a finishing touch of fresh herbs? You’re on the right track. Herbs are great companion plants to add to your veggies, Allison says. The strong aromas, which we love so much, help deter many garden pests, while also attracting pollinators.
Pruning Shears
Allison says a great pair of pruning shears is non-negotiable. Pruning and trimming are essential for keeping your plants healthy and helping them grow. They’re also wonderful for harvesting, which often requires precise cuts. “This is also the one garden tool I always have multiples of, not just because they’re that handy, but because of their smaller size, they’re also one of the easiest tools to continually misplace in the garden,” Allison shares. She recommends the Fiskars Micro-Tip Easy Action Shears if you want to start with one all-purpose pruning snip. The ultra-sharp steel blades help you get precise cuts, and the small size lets you get into hard-to-reach crevices.
Herb Snips and Hand-Held Pruners
If you want to build out your shears collection a bit beyond the basics, Allison recommends a pair of herb snips and a hand-held pruner. The Fiskars Smooth-Action Pruner has a sharp, bypass-style steel blade that is strong enough to glide through wood and thick stems. On the contrary, the Fiskars Herb Snips are shorter than regular shears, making them perfect for snipping small, delicate stems. Having these two options on hand will give you more flexibility to handle any plant maintenance that comes your way. Plus, it’s nice to have backups if your go-to gets lost.
Garden Gloves
Razor Hoe
Steel Rake
Rolls of Jute
Garden Tote or Apron
Some days in the garden may be more time- and labor-intensive than others, but regardless of what the day entails, you’ll always want your collection of essentials handy. This way, you can snip, prune and harvest as you wish. A garden tote or garden apron makes it easy to store your tools and keep your hands free to work. You can live without them, Allison shares, but you probably don’t want to. They will make your life a lot easier.
Garden Bucket
All those weeds, twigs and miscellaneous clippings need somewhere to go. Keep a garden bucket handy for any garden waste, Allison recommends. It will make garden clean-up a lot more seamless.
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