If you ask most gardeners what their gardening goals are, they might have some vague answers. They might say they want a beautiful garden, they might want to grow their own fruit and veg, they might want a great space for entertaining, or a place where wildlife can flourish.

These are all good things to want, but unless your gardening goals are more specific and/or you know how to reach them, they may not actually happen. With that in mind, here are some ideas for potential gardening goals, and some advice on what to do to achieve them. Read on to find out more.

Start A Compost Heap

Starting a compost heap is a great goal, especially if you’re not sure where to start or the types of goals you might need to be making. Not only is it good for your garden – you can use the compost you make to feed your plants and produce – but it’s good for the planet, as you’ll be throwing less away.

It’s also a very easy project to start. The issue is that there is a lot of conflicting information out there, so it can get a little confusing. However, if you stick with the tried-and-true method that people have been using for centuries, you’ll get on fine.

The first thing you need to do is find a space for your compost heap to call home. This could be a specially made container, it could be a plastic garden waste bin, or it could just be a literal heap (although this can get messy, so you might want to install a fence around it, for example. Then you just need to tip your compostable waste, such as potato and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, cardboard, newspapers and magazines, and any other organic waste, into the heap. Turn it over once a week or so to speed up the process if you want to. Although it will take about a year for the first batch of compost to be ready, after that, you’ll have organic compost whenever you need it.

Make A Seed Starting Area

If you want to be prepared to start your gardening at the right time, it can be useful to have a ready set up seed starting area. In this way, you can ensure that your plants have the best chance of thriving. Your seed starting area is, as the name suggests, where you start your seeds – it’s where you plant them instead of putting them directly into the ground outside. It offers extra protection, and ensures a better harvest. Therefore, one of your gardening goals could be to create a dedicated seed starting area.

Again, this is simple. You need to decide where this area is going to be, and many people use their patio to do this, especially as seeds are often planted when people aren’t going to be outside that much. Wherever you do choose, make sure you put a barrier around the area so that it is kept separate and safe. You’ll need a small table, perhaps a chair if you prefer, and you’ll need access to the tools you want when it comes to planting seeds. You’ll also need pots and soil, of course.

Set up your seeding area so that it’s exactly how you want it, and you’ll be much more motivated to get started on your planting that much earlier, and you can ensure that your plants are able to blossom.

Start Small

Whether you have a large garden or a more compact one, no matter how keen you are to make it look fantastic, you have to remember that gardening is hard work. It’s physically taxing, but it also takes a lot of planning and brainpower to get it right. Plus, there is so much choice that it can all get rather overwhelming, the result of which is that you either do nothing at all, or the bare minimum. That means your garden is not going to look how you imagined it, and you’ll get frustrated.

So take a step back and understand that it’s okay to start small. In fact, it’s often necessary. Divide your garden up into small sections using a grid and work on one section at a time. Make that look perfect before moving on to the next. You only need to think about the area you’re working on, but by the time you’ve finished, the entire garden will look absolutely fantastic.

This will also help with planning out exactly what you want your garden to look like. You can determine which plants will go in what sections, and you can budget better too as you’ll only need to buy what you need for the specific area you’re focusing on.

Gardening is a wonderful hobby that helps you feel relaxed and gives you a great workout. There’s no need to become stressed about it; take your time and plan ahead, and the results will speak for themselves.