New year new me. You’ve heard that a million times before. As people start to get on exercise bicycles and reattempt crash diets, we wanted to slow things down and talk about a hobby that will bring unlimited benefits to your life and your loved one’s lives.
Now of course we’re talking about gardening. But we’re talking about gardening for a good reason, or well, several good reasons.
So let’s break down why gardening is one of the best hobbies to pick up in the new year.
Gardening is one of those hobbies that positively impacts almost every aspect of your life, from mental health to physical health to even boosting your social interactions.
Gardening classifies as a moderate-intensity exercise, but it’s the type of workout you don’t really notice because you’re so focused on your plants. This exercise improves heart health, increases strength and dexterity, and lowers blood pressure.
But also the fact of it being an outside hobby means you are getting essential vitamin D and connecting to nature. Being immersed in nature is one of the most important things you can do in this urbanised world where we are spending more and more time cooped up indoors.
Think about how many times your mum told you to go get some fresh air, well now you’ll be getting fresh air on a regular basis.
When you garden you reduce stress and find peace in the small routine activities of planting something up or trimming your bushes. Even just go sit in your garden for a small time and you’ll notice how you start to relax and feel better.
Of course this is conditional on what you plant, but if you choose to get edible plants then you are also getting homegrown fresh veggies and fruits. There’s nothing more satisfying than eating food you’ve grown yourself – plus it’s better for you and your bank account.
Now once you’ve spent some time in the garden – you get to reap the benefits of just having a beautiful garden. This means having a wonderful space to sit in the sun and read a book or have friends over for a BBQ or play with your kids.
You get to control the level of effort you put into this hobby – whether you want to be a more casual gardener or a keen gardener it’s completely up to you.
We want to chat to you about our philosophy when it comes to successfully starting this amazing hobby. The MOST important thing is…
Give yourself a win.
Choose something that is easy to grow and give yourself a win.
The reason why so many people lose their spark in gardening is because they get over-excited and choose complicated plants that are tricky to grow and then die on them. There’s nothing worse than buying plants that just keep dying on you, it would make anyone give up!
We understand how you can get caught up in all these different things you want to grow and all the beautiful plants you want in your garden, but it’s so important to start slow.
Choose something really simple and easy that is going to grow beautifully, and you’ll kick start your confidence. Also make sure you choose plants that are well suited to your spot and soil, if you’re not sure visit your local nurseryman.
Or you can just choose very hardy plants that can withstand almost anything.
So now that we’ve convinced you to start gardening as a hobby, here’s how to do it.
Stop thinking about it and just dive right in. Just make sure to do it in the right sequence of events.
First, plan out your garden design or go get one done. We offer a Free Garden Design, it is a small deposit but you get that money back when you purchase your plants with us.
Our Garden Design is done by Chris, founder of Hello Hello and an expert gardener. He has decades of designs under his belt and an acute knowledge of plants.
Having a plan gives you a framework to operate off of, so you’re not just willy nilly popping in plants and ending with a disaster of a garden.
The second step is to clear out the space, you want to start with a blank canvas. Maybe it’s a new property you just bought, and the garden hasn’t been maintained well, or you’re looking at the garden you have and wanting to spruce it up.
Before you add, you need to eliminate. Clear out any rubbish and get to weeding. Weeding can feel like a MASSIVE job so we’re going to break it down into the easiest way to go about it. Start by spraying any perennial weeds with roundup. Leave it for a couple of days then finish clearing it by mowing it.
This next step will be the longest, but you can break it up into small chunks and work at it systematically. What you want to do is get a shovel and dig turn smash. What that means is dig your shovel into the dirt, turn the dirt over and smash the dirt up with the shovel.
Don’t do your garden all at once because your back will HURT. Instead, spend around 15 minutes after work everyday and work in sections through it.
Once you’re done, add some new good quality soil and start the whole process again. Dig turn smash. Dig turn smash. Trust us, it’s worth it. Also, you’ll find the second time is much easier.
Then get a steel rake and smash it up some more and smooth the dirt down with it.
NOW you’re ready to plant.
If you’re reading this around the time of publication (and you’re in Australia), it’s summer right now which is the perfect time for planting. Also it’s a good idea to use Osmocote and Soil Wetter.
We are a big advocate of NOT mulching or pebbling straight after planting. It’s actually a little secret tip of ours on how to have less weeds. Instead of mulching and pebbling, get a small wolf draw hoe and start weeding.
Cut the weeds off and then you can just leave them as they will shrivel up in the sunlight. Do this weeding process every two weeks for a few months and you’ll notice the weeds stop germinating. It’s a lot of upfront effort, but it will save you so much time and pain later down the track when you feel like you’re constantly battling weeds.
So now you got your beautiful garden and the weeds are under control, the next important thing is to lock in your watering schedule. Watering is a very important part of gardening to keep your plants happy and thriving.
We have an article all about becoming a master at watering, check it out here. Plus we have a video for those who are visual learners.
Now you could just plant up your garden and be done with it, but a good garden requires constant creation.
A garden is not a set thing, plants are constantly changing and growing. Don’t try and hold your garden still, allow it to evolve and contribute to the evolution of the garden.
Maybe there’s one or two plants that don’t perform well and you need to replace them with something else. Or you get ideas for other things you want to add in. As you get more of a knack for gardening you can tackle more tricky plants and try out different things.
Don’t be afraid to experiment, see what works and what doesn’t work. Have fun and play around with different ideas for your garden. With a great garden you have to be constantly developing it, then your garden will just keep getting better and better.
You don’t need to have a true dirt backyard garden to get into gardening – with the wonderful invention of pots ANYONE can have some fun with gardening. Now it won’t be on the same scale as owning a backyard/front yard, but you can still do quite a lot.
For example, you can plant a lemon tree and a herb in the same spot and have two things that can be used in the kitchen but also make for a pretty feature.
You’d also be surprised on how much you can change your balcony with just a few pot plants.
Also there’s no limits on the number of indoor plants you can have (at least we don’t think so).
We hope this helped you realise how wonderful gardening is as a hobby. Yes, it does take quite a bit of upfront effort, but it is so worth it when you are in an incredible garden that you created yourself.
It is very satisfying work that you get to reap the benefits of for the rest of your life.
If you have any questions about gardening don’t hesitate to reach out to us or come into the store. We are here to make a beautiful garden accessible to everyone.
The more wonderful gardens there are, the more joy there is in the world.
Feeling inspired to create your own garden, but want some expert advice? Try our one-on-one garden design service with Chris. Together you’ll come up with a selection of plants along with a layout plan that gives you the look you want, as well as being suitable for your local soil and conditions.
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