The Twenty-Something’s Guide to Starting Gardening

In this modern world, young people expect things quick. Everything is fast for them. Fast internet, fast online delivery, fast food, fast trains… We’ve become globally impatient. Gardening requires patience, and it’s probably the one thing left in a world of technology that can’t be hurried. Parents probably didn’t teach their children the ways of the garden, and so twenty somethings are not really interested. Gardening is a great stress de-buster, and what with the crazy lifestyles young people lead today, they could do with some form of relaxation. If you’re a millennial (we hate that word but it seems trendy so we’ll go with it) read on to see how you can get your hands dirty…

To save your stress choose something that doesn’t require rocket science to produce something, such as tomatoes. The seeds germinate easily, as do annual flowers such as petunias. They don’t require lots and lots of attention and you can start small with these. You can start with window boxes or flower pots, and work your way up. If you don’t have space to expand once you get your confidence up, then that’s fine. Stick to window boxes and try growing herbs. Even if you just have a doorstep, you can surely have a nice pot on there to tend to.

The trick is to persevere. Don’t feel bummed out if everything you plant dies. It’s a learning process and you need to have patience. It’s lovely to watch the fruits of your labour grow, quite literally. Do your research, too. Ask your neighbours what they’ve got. Mooch around. Don’t be put off if you see your neighbours with beautiful, bountiful gardens frothing with colour and scent. It probably didn’t happen overnight. Don’t feel daft with your little containers of seeds. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Don’t feel you have to spend loads of cash on getting started either. Just don’t give up!