Experts reveal 10 common mistakes amateur gardeners make – and share their top tips on how you can avoid them
While there are many people who take pride in their gardens, many people who own an outdoor space find the prospect of gardening a bit daunting.
With Easter just around the corner, the days getting longer and temperatures rising, many Brits will soon be venturing into their gardens and trying to spruce them up.
Of course, for amateur gardeners trying the hobby for the first time, it is normal to make mistakes.
But fear not: experts have revealed some common blunders people make when they start gardening – and how to avoid them.
A garden with plants and different colored flowers in the sun under the blue sky (stock image)
1. Too many plants at once
When it comes to flower beds, it can be tempting to fill an area with lots of different, colorful shrubs.
However, according to one expert, the ‘less is more’ philosophy is crucial.
Garden designer Lee Burkhill explained on his blog: Garden Ninjathat planting too many plants in small spaces causes them to ‘compete for resources’, which is detrimental to their growth in the long run.
It means that they require excessive watering and ultimately it is unlikely that they will all survive.
2. Planting in the wrong soil
Garden guru Alan Titchmarsh has previously revealed the importance of using the right soil type to plant your shrubs.
In 2021, he told YOU magazine: ‘For most people, soil is just dirt. But for plants it is life or death.
‘Whether you garden on clay, sand or chalk, it affects what will grow well.
“And unless you’re lucky and have naturally good soil, yours will probably need to be improved.”
He explained that loam is the best soil for planting, which he described as “dark brown soil that has a good mix of everything.”
In his blog, Lee also noted the importance of knowing your soil and learning which plants do best in each type.
3. Not taking sunlight into account
Beautiful blue flowers subject to rotting after inadequate care (stock image)
Some gardens get more sun than others – and Lee says this is an important consideration when choosing your shrubs.
While all plants need some sunlight to grow and perform photosynthesis, he explained that some shrubs do better without it.
Lee recommends getting to know your garden to understand which areas receive more sunlight than others, so you can understand which plants do best in different areas.
For example, if your garden is dark, you should choose plants that tolerate less sun exposure.
He even recommends making a sketch of where the sun and shadows move in your yard to aid your understanding.
4. Planting at the wrong time of year
If you plant too early in the year, your shrubs may have difficulty growing due to a lack of light and heat.
Likewise, sowing certain seeds, such as fruit, too late in the year may not produce the best results.
Lee recommends checking seed packets before propagating them to ensure you do it at the best time of year for them to thrive.
5. Inadequate nutrition
A young woman’s hand showing a damaged unprotected tomato plant after a cold morning in a greenhouse (stock image)
When you try to grow fruits and vegetables, you need to be extra careful about feeding them.
For example, the best time to feed tomatoes, potatoes or pumpkins is early summer, when they are about to bear fruit. Lee explains that plants that produce food themselves need more nutrition.
In contrast, herbaceous perennials such as verbenas require significantly less nutrition and in some cases only need mulching every two years.
6. Plant far away from water or your tap
Planting a beautiful selection of shrubs is one thing, but maintaining them is quite another.
Lee explains that it’s important to make sure you have enough water when it comes to replenishing your garden.
If you have a large garden but only one outside tap, it can take a very long time to water everything.
That is why the expert recommends placing water barrels around the garden, possibly attached to a shed.
7. Missing harvest season
When late summer arrives and people are enjoying the last of the sunshine, new gardeners can be forgiven for forgetting that it is actually harvest season.
Before you know it, your plants ripe for harvest can become spoiled, leading to disappointment after all the hard work you’ve put into them.
Lee recommends setting a simple reminder on your phone so you don’t miss your chance.
8. Not creating paths
Many new gardeners forget to create some paths or ways to get around the garden when they design their lawn.
Lee revealed that people sometimes fall into the trap of cluttering their space with flowers, fruits and vegetables, before realizing they don’t actually have a route to the beds to water them.
The gardener recommended planning access points such as 3-foot-wide paths, especially if you have raised beds.
9. Use of pesticides
Woman spraying plants using water pulverizer (stock image)
If you’ve put time and effort into perfecting your garden, the last thing you want is for pests to spoil it.
But before you reach for the herbicide and pesticides, Lee recommends considering natural alternatives that are less harmful to your plants.
There are almost always natural alternatives to these chemical concoctions, he explains.
10. Irregular watering
British home decor magazine Life etc revealed that one of the most common mistakes new gardeners make is not watering their plants enough.
Chris Bonnett, founder of Gardening Express, told the publication: ‘Overwatering, underwatering and inconsistent watering can put stress on crops and affect their growth.
‘To overcome this, you can create a watering schedule based on the needs of your vegetables. Use mulch to retain moisture in the soil and reduce evaporation.”
New York-based landscape designer Kat Aul Cervoni also recommends looking into drip irrigation systems if you can afford them.