Do you want to know the truth about gardening? It’s easy, but it’s also not easy. 😉
The truth is gardening can be as discouraging as it is rewarding. Maybe not all gardeners feel this way but there are many times over the 16 years of gardening I have felt discouraged. Sometimes the feeling came because of things I could control, while other times it was completely out of my hands.
There are tons of resources out there that will tell you how to grow the best tomato plants, which compost is the best, and ways to extend your growing season. These are also topics that I will likely cover at some point on this blog as well, however, I don’t see many people writing about the mental mindset a gardener must-have, and this is the reason I’ve decided one of my very first blog posts about gardening will be on this topic.
5 Gardener Mindset Skills for Beginners
The 5 gardening mindsets kills I think everyone should have before starting a garden.
1. BELIEF that your garden will grow.
I feel sometimes people sabotage their gardening experience way before they get started because they don’t really believe they can do it. They tell themselves they have a “black thumb” and believe it. Maybe someone gave them a house plant that they were totally unprepared for and neglected to water it and for the rest of their life they think they are an unfit “plant parent”. Is this you? Take heart, Have the BELIEF your garden WILL grow.
2. Willingness to do SOME research first.
While you can just go to the local plant nursery, buy some plants and soil, and start your garden it’s always best to set yourself up with success by learning a few basics about gardening first. You can find tons of free information online and likely from one of your next-door neighbors. Gardeners are everywhere! But remember, you don’t have to know all the things before you get started. Just SOME basics so that you get yourself going in the right direction.
3. Approaching each year’s “failures” as LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
You will likely have a little bit of growing pains the first time you start your garden. This is often why people don’t begin. They don’t want to fail. But, if you see each setback as a learning opportunity then it’s a much more productive and beneficial experience. Remain positive and just fail forward.
4. REFUSE the need for perfection.
Now that you know how to take a “failure” as a learning opportunity it will do you good to just REFUSE the idea of the perfect garden experience. There will be days your frustrations will be high. A good way to curb perfectionism is to lower your expectations. Be happy with your first harvest whether that’s a little or a lot. Next year is always another year to start again.
5. HUMILITY to ask for help from experienced gardeners.
While Google, Pinterest, and social media are great places to get tips, learning from someone you know is much better. If you don’t have an experienced gardener local to you to find a group or friend online that would be willing to answer your questions as they come up. It’s really nice to have someone local because they are dealing with the same climate as you.
Working on these mindset skills won’t just help you become a good gardener. These skills will really help you throughout life. There are so many lessons to be learned in the garden. Be mindful, watch and listen to and be ok with setbacks because that is where the real learning happens.
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