5 New Gardening Ideas to Try in 2017
It's hard to believe, but we're already a month into 2017. Have you given up on your New Year's Resolutions yet? I know mine are going less than...ideally.
It's okay, though, because one thing that 2017 doesn't have to be is a year of less than amazing gardening. At least, that's our hope with today's post. The start of a new year is a perfect time to try new things and experiment, and we think that gardening is no exception.
If you've been looking to "shake up" your gardening routine, today's post is for you! Come along as we give you five new gardening ideas to try in 2017. Make sure to let us know which are your favorites in the comments section.
Let's get started!
1. Try Container Gardening
If you've been limiting your gardening ambitions because you feel like you don't have enough space, container gardening is for you! A lot of the gardening advice you read makes it seem like you need to have a giant yard to plant a garden...or at least a flower bed.
In reality, you need neither. Container gardening lets you make use of any available space you have in your home. You can tailor it to what fits your specific situation.
Don't get a lot of natural light? No worries. Plant something like chives, mint, or cilantro.Feel like you're drowning in all the sunshine coming through your kitchen window? Just as easy. Try one of our tropical flowers or native Hawaiian plants.
And, of course, container gardening isn't just for inside (though it is a great way to decorate your home). You can also use container gardens to decorate your porch, patio, or other outdoor living space. To get started making your own container garden, have a look at our post on how to grow a container garden in 8 steps.
Oh, and did we mention that you can grow fresh herbs and vegetables in containers? Yum.
2. Grow Edible Plants
If you've only grown plants just to look at, wait till you grow ones you can eat. If you want to get your feet wet, start with something like herbs, which you can grow in your kitchen and require minimal care. If you want more of a challenge, then you could look into planting your first fruit tree.
To get started with edible plants, have a look at our vegetable and herb seedlings. Searching for more of a project? Check out our post on how to grow an Indian culinary garden.
3. Go Natural
A lot of people's New Year's resolutions have to do with health, but what about the health of your garden? Particularly if you grow edible plants, you should pay close attention to what goes on and into them. After all, whatever your edible plants consume is ultimately what you'll end up consuming. One of the best ways to ensure your food is as clean as possible is to move away from harsh pesticides and fertilizers towards more natural methods.
Luckily for you, we're all about natural gardening at the nursery. Whether it's organic pest control without the dangerous poisons or soil health-boosting products like compost tea, 2017 is the perfect year to try healthier, more natural gardening.
4. Experiment with Landscape Design
Landscape design is one of those things that sounds really complicated, too intimidating for home gardeners to try. While landscape design can be complicated, it doesn't have to be.
It can be as simple as arranging your plants in the most attractive way, or adding some simple decorations like rocks, statues, or some railway sleepers to frame the garden. Really, it's just about using your creativity to create the most pleasing yard arrangement possible. If you need help buying a bench to suit your garden, it might be worth having a look at different guides to see which one would suit your design best before buying one you like the look of. This will really help the design, finish and overall aesthetics of your garden!
To see just how easy and rewarding landscape design can be, have a look at our guide on how to create a backyard retreat in 5 easy steps.
5. Challenge Yourself
In a way, this whole post is about challenging yourself and pushing a bit outside your comfort zone. But maybe you want to make 2017 the year that you really expand your gardening skills. If that's the case, we recommend taking on a gardening project that challenges you.
What that project will be depends on your current skills and what you want to learn, but here are a few ideas we thought of:
Care for your first orchid - Beautiful and enchanting, orchids are a plant that will challenge and reward even the most experienced gardener. We offer a variety of orchids to get you started, as well as plenty of expert advice to help you on your journey.
Choose a gardening theme - For example using only native Hawaiian plants, or only edible plants, or planting only in a certain part of your yard. These kind of creative limits will teach you a lot.
Set up an orchard - While it's not terribly hard to care for a couple fruit trees, a whole orchard will really stretch you as a gardener. The longterm pay-off for you (and future generations) will be immensely rewarding.
Of course, only you can decide what best challenges you, but the above suggestions should certainly get you started.
Conclusion
A new year really can be the start to a whole new way of doing things. Certainly, we think it's much easier to make changes and try out new ideas in the realm of gardening than it is in...other areas of life (still working on that 6 am wakeup habit).
We hope today's post has inspired you to try something new with your garden in 2017, and we're excited to see what you come up with.
As always, if you need any help realizing your gardening ambitions, don't hesitate to contact us or stop by for an in-person consultation.
What new gardening ideas are you going to try in 2017? Share them with us in the comments section below!