A new garden year is just around the corner, so now is the time to do the prep work to avoid stress when it is time to plant your garden.

Over the years of gardening, I have a few tips that may help you if you are a new gardener or want to brush up on your skills. Please share in the comments below if anyone would like to add to this list. Let’s get started.

1. Have a Garden Notebook/Planner and a Pen Ready

Before anything, I cannot express the importance of having a notebook or a planner. Some excellent planners are available, and they can also become pricey. I can tell you, as a beginner gardener, my notes were on pieces of paper until after the first year. For a novice gardener, some garden planners can seem very intimidating. It was not until after my third or fourth year I began to understand why planners are so helpful. The more the garden grew, so made my notes and a planner helped keep them better organized.

2. Make Time – Don’t Rush

This time of year, I try to take advantage of the cold winter months by reflecting on the garden’s failures and successes the year before. The sooner one can write these down after overwintering the garden, the better that way, it is fresh in your mind.

If this is your first year gardening, I encourage you to take this time to cozy up with a hot beverage with your favorite garden mug, your notebook, and a pen/pencil and begin reading gardening books, podcasts, or free training to help gather ideas for beginners gardening. This is also a great time to talk to the gardeners or local nurseries in your area for advice on the best time to plant and what to plant in your zone.

3. Dig Deeper, Ask Yourself Some Questions – Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How 

Being a new gardener without goals is asking for a year of confusion, stress, and overwhelm. With so many means of advertising today, getting caught up in wanting the big picture of a successful garden without learning the lessons and goals to get to that point is easy. Like a seed being planted, it has to have time to grow, and so does the gardener. Ask yourself these questions.

Who – Who will be tending to this garden?

What – What do I want to see grow and produce out of this garden? What materials do I need to buy? What produce will my family eat that I can grow and not waste?

When – When do I begin planting a garden? (Frost Dates)

Where – Where is the best place to plant a garden? Do I have enough space? Will I need raised beds due to limited space? Will plants require full sun, part shade, or shade? Is there easy access to water?

Why – Why do I want to plant a garden?

How – How do I get started? How do I stay within my budget and garden?

4. Check Your Zone

This is a very crucial step. Before purchasing any seeds, you must check what seeds grow best in your zone and when to plant them. Read more about seed starting here. 

4. Pick a Color Pallet

If you plan to grow flowers this year, having a color pallet in mind will help you narrow down the seeds to purchase. There are TONS of flowers out there, and you can easily get carried away and buy too many and not have enough space. As an experienced gardener, I have learned to write down what flowers I did well and which I liked. Over the years, you will know what flowers do better for your area and what does not.

5. Where Do I Buy Seeds, Bulbs, and Tubers

I cannot stress this enough. Always buy seeds, tubers, and bulbs from trusted, well-known farms and suppliers. I cannot begin to tell you the horror stories of gardeners who purchased either of these and ended up with a nasty virus in their garden soil. Yes, this can happen, and when it does, you will know, and it can be very costly and upsetting. (This is especially relevant for planting dahlia tubers)

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