From start to blooming finish, 10 tips for new gardeners

Check if your garden has a south- or north-facing aspect, and which time of day the sun hits the ground. Feel between your fingers whether your soil is sandy, silty or clay-like. And test the soil pH. If you can see camellias and magnolias growing, that signifies an acid soil, whereas lavender and honeysuckle prefer alkaline.  

Before putting foot to spade, sit down with pencil and paper. Think about colour and structure. Plan out what combines well and suits your growing conditions. With the right mix of deciduous and evergreen plants, your garden will look good every season.

Preparation is key to healthy, long-living plants. Spend plenty of time weeding and adding mulch or fertiliser to the soil. For potted plants, dig a hole that matches the width (plus 2cm extra) and depth of the pot. Trees don’t like being planted too deeply, but root balls will dry out quickly if they’re too close to the soil surface.

Nothing beats the satisfaction of growing your own food. So if you’d like to create a new vegetable plot, start planting in spring:

• Pick a level area that gets plenty of sunshine and is sheltered from the wind

• Arrange beds in groups of four to make it easier to rotate veg around

• Cover areas you’re not working on with cardboard or black plastic to stop weeds

Feed plants twice a month during spring and summer – more often for container plants. Remember to water the root ball rather than the leaves – a long soaking every week is better than a daily light sprinkle. Use organic fertiliser made from natural products such as bonemeal or seaweed.

Nature’s natural predators such as ladybirds will keep sap-sucking insects like aphids and whitefly under control. And growing shrubs with berries will attract slug- and snail-eating birds. But if pests do turn into an infestation, try to only use organic pellets and sprays as these are more environmentally friendly.

Why let home and garden waste go to waste? Tip into a compost bin and leave for a year to break down into nutritious mulch. Spread this around the base of plants to condition and retain moisture in the soil. 

• Add a 50:50 mix of green (grass clippings) to brown (woody stems, cardboard) material

• Stand the bin on the soil as worms and micro-organisms speed up the composting process

• Turn the heap occasionally with a garden fork to aerate it

Munching on leaves. Nibbling on your seeds and fruit… animals love your garden as much as you do! But they keep things in balance too, with birds eating the slugs and caterpillars. Help nature thrive by creating habitats for bees and butterflies, amphibians and hedgehogs. And grow nectar-rich flowers like red clover, lavender and borage for the insect pollinators.

Pruning encourages plants to flower and fruit well. It prevents a tangled mess of old and new growth, and stops bushes from becoming gangly. Arm yourself with a good-quality chainsaw or pruner. It’s easy once you understand your plants’ growth cycles, how far to cut back, and when. 

Remember to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labours. Build a seating and dining area in which to read or eat al fresco with family and friends. Create an enclosed space – grasses, bamboo and an espalier-trained fruit tree make great screens. And hang up bird feeders for free wildlife entertainment.