Getting started Archives - The Micro Gardener

3 Steps to Prepare Your Garden for Planting

Do you ever wonder why your plants don’t grow well? Or just survive instead of thrive? Sowing seeds or plants into ‘dead dirt’ just won’t cut it if you want to grow a healthy garden! If you’re a beginner gardener, there are some basic principles to learn so you succeed every time.

You don’t need to spend much time, but a little effort every season to revive your soil in pots and garden beds will reap BIG rewards.

Just like we thrive on a nutrient-dense diet in a stress-free environment, healthy plants need food and a happy home to live in too!

“If you meet the ‘needs’ of your plants, they will flourish, blossom and produce a bountiful harvest.” – Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener

Are you:

Getting ready to plant new season crops in an established garden?
Planning to sow seeds in new soil?
Trying to revitalize tired container gardens?
Building a garden bed from scratch?

If so, then follow my three steps to boost your soil and help your garden thrive:

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Anne Gibson2020-01-26T08:09:44+10:00Categories: Container Gardening, Garden Maintenance, Planning & Design, How to Grow, Tips & Tricks|Tags: Clever design ideas; Tips & Tricks, Fertilisers, garden maintenance, Getting started, Healthy soil, how to grow, planting|12 Comments

Seed Starting Guide: Quick Tips for Starting Seeds Successfully

Do you struggle to raise seeds successfully? Are you a beginner gardener? Then follow this tutorial on how to be a successful plant ‘parent’. Avoid the most common mistakes when starting seeds.

As a parent, there’s no greater joy than sharing the journey of nurturing a baby from infancy into a healthy young adult. But I confess – I’ve been a bad ‘parent’ many times … Before I learned how to raise my plant ‘babies’ successfully, they starved, drowned, died of thirst or neglect, too much love – or too little! If this sounds like you, then read on for my best tips.

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Anne Gibson2022-06-14T12:06:15+10:00Categories: Grow Your Own Food, How to Grow|Tags: Container gardening, Getting started, grow your own food, how to grow, Safe seeds, Seed germination, Seed raising mix, seedlings, seeds & seed saving|12 Comments

6 Easy DIY Container Garden Projects

Looking for creative DIY container garden projects? Micro Gardening in containers offers you SO many benefits. If you are a beginner or need some ideas to get started, I’ve compiled these tutorials to inspire you – regardless of your space, skills or budget!

Easy DIY Container Garden Project - I change the flowers in these bright pink gumboot planters seasonally - an easy way to upcycle outgrown boots. I also plant in my adult pairs when they split. Just drill holes in the soles! I put tiny pots into the top of this pair & they sit nicely with a clay worm as garden art.

I change the flowers in these bright pink gumboot planters seasonally – an easy way to upcycle outgrown boots. I also plant in my adult pairs when they split. Just drill holes in the soles! I put tiny pots into the top of this pair & they sit nicely with a clay worm as garden art.

4 Steps to Create your DIY Container Garden

You can make a new or repurposed planter for a herb, vegetable, ornamental or flower garden in just a few easy steps: (more…)

Anne Gibson2018-04-19T11:50:36+10:00Categories: Container Gardening, Container Ideas, How To DIY Projects & Recipes, Portable Gardens, Repurposed Planters|Tags: Beautiful gardens, Cachepot, Container gardening, DIY, Getting started, Micro gardening, Pots & containers, repurposed planters|17 Comments

Planting in Season for your Unique Location

One of the biggest challenges in gardening is learning WHAT to plant WHEN. To save time and money and get the best results, it’s wise to plant in season. That simply means that you work WITH nature to sow or transplant when the weather and season is most favourable to growing what you want to plant. Learn more with these free resources.

What to Plant When - Zones, Calendars and Guides

Ever had poor seed germination? A seedling or plant die shortly after planting? Sick of failures? Your climate zone and time of year can play a BIG role in gardening successfully. Let’s take a look at zones, calendars and gardening guides to help you make the best decisions.

How to Determine What to Plant and When

Know your zone – Climate zones are generalised because seasons can change quickly. They can arrive early or late – or not at all! If you are not sure already, find out which climate zone you live in. This will help you choose the best plants for your area and learn the correct sowing time. (more…)

Anne Gibson2023-02-13T10:33:21+10:00Categories: How to Grow, Tips & Tricks|Tags: Calendars and guides, Getting started, how to grow, Planting tips, Seasonal gardening, Timing, tips & tricks, Zones|4 Comments

Getting a Small Kitchen Garden Started

Start with what you or your family love to eat. Think about what is important to you. Why waste precious space growing something you won’t eat, or grow flowers if you like herbs!

Shallots are the lead actor in this pot of yummy edibles. Filled with herbs, edible flowers & salad greens, this is a ‘Pick and Pluck’ salad garden.

This is one of my edible salad gardens in a pot – filled to the brim with tasty herbs like parsley, chives and spring onions, edible flowers, baby spinach, tatsoi and rocket. I rotate this by planting seasonal greens and herbs.

Keep it simple and you can fit at least some gardening into your life. Having an idea of what you want is a good starting point.

Clever design tips will help make the most of the space you have. Lots of plants including vegetables require very little effort but reward you extremely well for a minimal outlay. There are lots of clever ways to design your space for maximum production, design out problems like weather or nosy neighbours and add beauty, colour, fragrance and structure as well as encouraging children to get their hands dirty.

“This is a universal idea – to connect the garden with the kitchen and with the table and back to the garden again.” – Alice Waters, Chef & Author “In the Green Kitchen”

So where do you begin? Here are some ideas for starting a small kitchen garden … (more…)

Anne Gibson2018-04-20T17:11:36+10:00Categories: Grow Your Own Food, Indoor Gardens|Tags: Getting started, Growing food, Small kitchen garden|9 Comments