Gardening is an activity that includes everything from growing plants in pots to caring for an elaborate garden. It can be done recreationally and professionally, as well as for the purpose of growing food, herbs or spices. This means that it refers to growing both ornamental plants and those that can be used in the kitchen or stored in your medicine cabinet. Here we are going to provide you with a brief introduction to this versatile activity, in which we will discuss some of the basic types of gardening, as well as the difference between gardening and farming. We will also give you some tips on how to start your own garden.

Indoor gardening

As a special type of gardening, it has its own set of rules, advantages and disadvantages. Its biggest upside is the fact that with indoor plants, you are in complete control over the process. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to get everything right. Indoor gardening could also be called container gardening, since the plants that are grown inside need to be planted in proper containers. This isn’t the case, however, because potted plants can be grown outdoors as well, typically on balconies.

Outdoor gardening

This type of gardening includes a wide range of activities. They can be divided into residential and non-residential gardening, but the classification can also be done according to the purposes or methods that are used in the process.

Residential gardening

This type of gardening refers to growing plants on residential areas. Any kind of private garden falls under this category, although it can refer to a yard or a lawn belonging to a single owner, as well as to a garden belonging to an entire building.

Non-residential gardening

When we say non-residential gardening, we basically mean parks and other gardens that are at least in part public, including botanical gardens and amusement parks.

When it comes to the purpose of gardening, we can roughly divide it into ornamental and medicinal gardening, and food production. As for the methods used in the process, there are water gardening, organic gardening, Hügelkultur and many more.

Gardening vs. farming

When talking about small-scale gardens that are grown for private purposes, there is no real difference between gardening and farming. A person with plants growing in their backyard could be called either a gardener or a farmer. However, it is a completely different thing to talk about larger areas of land that are used for food production. The methods tend to be oriented more towards cost efficiency and less towards quality, and there is an absence of mixing and rotating different plants on the same land.

How to start a garden

Although it seems like a pretty straightforward task, starting a garden actually involves a lot of work. The process can be divided into the following phases:

Deciding on the purpose of the garden

Creating a garden that will be both functional and aesthetically pleasing requires you to ask yourself the following question: What purpose will it serve? Will you use it for growing food, relaxing in your free time or entertaining friends and family? Only after you have decided on this can you move to the next phase.

Choosing plants and designing the garden

Depending on your decision, you will have to choose between a wide range of plants that are either grown for food or appearance. You will also have to choose between plants that are more delicate by nature or those that can withstand a lot. If the conditions in which you live would be tough on them, it would be best to choose the latter.

Providing the optimal conditions

First of all, this includes choosing the right soil and providing the plants with nutrients. While deciding where to position each of the plants, you should consider the amount of light they require to remain healthy. Apart from that, it is very important that you water them carefully and that you don’t forget to trim them if needed.