How to garden - what every beginner gardener needs to know....

If you're new to gardening, you've taken on a new garden - or even if you've got stuck in a rut with your old garden, then these are the things that every gardener should know. They're the easy gardening basics - the tips that will help you create your own perfect garden.

0:00 Welcome
0:59 What to do when you first get a garden
3:52 Where is the sun? Why that matters to beginner gardeners.
6:50 Add a layer of garden compost, mulch or well rotted manure (around 2"-3") to your garden every year
7:29 Watering is one of the most important gardening jobs.
8:56 How to plant a low maintenance garden
9:31 What are shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, bulbs and annuals? A beginner gardener's easy guide
12:49 The Middlesized Garden tote bag with 'Gardeners Learn by Trowel and Error is available from Spring

Whether you love English garden style, cottage gardens or contemporary urban gardening, The Middlesized Garden has gardening advice and garden ideas for you.

Weekly videos cover gardening advice and garden design - from small space gardens to middle-sized garden landscaping - plus garden tours and tips for container gardening.

The Middlesized Garden practices sustainability, wildlife gardening and no till methods. If your garden backyard is smaller than an acre, join us and enjoy your garden even more!

#gardening #gardendesign #backyardgarden

For small and middlesized backyards and gardens....

Note: links to Amazon are affiliate which means I get a small fee for qualifying purchases. It doesn't affect the price you pay and I only recommend things I use myself or really think you'd like!

[ashleymccarthy]

Brand new to gardening. One thing I've learnt to do is remember it's your hobby. You're not trying to win Chelsea or feed the nation. You do this for fun, so, make sure it is!

[adrabruzzese]

Agree 100%! Such great advice. I learned the hard way, put plants in the wrong place, pulled perrenials in early spring thinking they were weeds and weeded too much so the annuals that reseeded couldnt mature. Took me 3 yrs of really hard work to figure this out. The one thing I have never done is use pesticides and herbicides because i refuse to use poison and i only use organic fertilizer sparingly and guess what? I do not have pest issues. Also I give a plant 3 chances, if I plant something and it dies I only try two more times and then I'm done. Thank you Alexandra this advice is great for new and old gardeners alike!

[julesseahorses]

I absolutely LOVE this video. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I want to make a cottage garden but am really a complete novice. This channel is EXACTLY what I was looking for and is presented so well. THANK YOU…

[terianders]

This is the best gardening advice I’ve heard. I’ve been gardening for many years in Virginia, USA (zone 7a). I wish I would have had this information when I first started. Thank you. I really like your channel.

[fareebug]

I do enjoy your videos so very much. 💗

[alice_rabbit]

I have a shady north facing area of my garden. I fought with it for awhile and now accepted it as a natural woodland area.

[ingridcornwell]

This video is right on time. We must be sharing a “psychic vibe”! I had just decided that, after last year being what it was, I must concentrate on low maintenance gardening, more bulbs, shrubs and perennials, where I should set up some rain collection system areas AND “that’s not a weed, I just haven’t figured out its uses yet”. And this morning, voila! Your wonderful video covered it all. I even watched it twice! Thank you so much. 😊

[AnnMarieKing]

Excellent tips as always! Pre-weeding and taking time to understand the microclimates in your garden were most valuable for me. Thank you!

[Decemberarcher]

I really needed that last tip. I thought I was a plant killer, I didn't realise that plants diedd at the hands of "experts" too. Very comforting to know it's likely not my fault

[maryannbennett]

Thank you This was a very helpful video . I a m 84 and was Lucy enough to have had a large walled garden for 50 years, I now live in a bungalow which is surrounded by rhododendrons and Camélia & Azaleas. No lovely sunny border, so I am faced with completely different circumstances, I have been here for 3 seasons and having done what Alexandra described I am slowly putting my idea of what I like in a garden inti practice.

[Belzedar]

Sonovagun! I had just come in to take a break from reclaiming the abandoned back garden. I'm trying using a hoe this time, my fingernails are weeping with gratitude. Anyway, I had left Youtube on autoplay and I found it playing this clip just at the bit about the northern exposure. In the next 10 minutes, nearly all my questions were answered: plant selection, tools, having a decent garden and still having a life.

[meagera]

I often recommend to people design the garden with winter interest in mind as the garden should then look good all year. Also position if possible, key structural plants of interest ie nice trees or plants with year round appeal opposite your kitchen window or where you can see them from your favourite seat in the house if this is feasible. Good tips and I enjoy your videos very much.

[DeHoeveOldBelgianFarm]

Great advices! I especially liked the part of “low-maintenance” garden. Combining such plants with a small number of annuals (to bring more colours and variety) could be a perfect setup and maintenance effort.

[anthonyheery]

"If you're new to gardening, you've taken on a new garden - or even if you've got stuck in a rut with your old garden" maybe not stuck in a rut but definitely stuck and struggling to make forward progress!... your videos are very encouraging...keep up the good work.

[gooddrifters]

Brilliant advice. My tip is at the end of the day walk round your garden and have a look at what you have done, ignore what still needs doing, that can wait until tomorrow.

[athomewithfrancsicio]

Good Morning! Happy Saturday thanks for the awesome tips. What a beautiful butterfly blouse, lovely color!💕

[janereel]

Excellent content. Love your blog & videos.

[christinemongeau]

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I like particularly the idea of sitting in your garden in different places to get a perspective of the sun. I never thought of that so important and very obvious but missed by me. Your garden is gorgeous! Love your videos.

[christinepops]

Wonderful video Alexandria! I always learn something new from your videos. Happy Spring!

[janetcorey]

Invaluable information. Where were you 30 years ago. I have great gardens established all by trial and error. I had to have patience, and it was costly. I’d say ask older gardeners with beautiful gardens bc they will gladly show, tell and maybe share🌺