Some people dream of a garden the way others dream of a holiday, and Kate Winslet is one of them. When the Titanic star played French landscape designer Sabine De Barra in A Little Chaos, a period drama set in the gardens of Versailles under King Louis XIV, she got a taste of that life.According to WENN, she said, “every single night during filming I would go home and have to dig out mud.” The film was directed by her friend Alan Rickman, who also played the king.On the contrary, in real life it is different, and she admits, “I don’t have any gardening talents, truth be told. I’m just not very good at it, but I love gardens, and I’d love to be a gardener,” she added. At the London premiere, she said according to an AFP report, she said “Every year I say ‘Right, this year we’re going to do raised beds, this year we’re going to grow carrots, this year we’re going to do tomatoes,’ and somehow life gets in the way and we never get around to it.“This feeling is common among us when we really want to begin learning gardening but do not know where to begin, but honestly, it is not that difficult. Here are seven easy ways to start a kitchen garden.
Find a sunny spot first
Sunlight decides how well your vegetables grow, so plan out and make space for your green friends in the sunny corner of your balcony. Most vegetables and herbs grow best with at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight, so it is best to line the pots in your balcony, terrace, or backyard in that spot throughout the day.
Begin with growing smaller herbs and plants
Big plans can often disappoint beginners, as they need extensive care. So, it is best to begin with smaller herbs like coriander, microgreens, and garlic and onion greens in pots or raised beds, especially avoiding plants that pests love.
Get the soil right
Good soil does most of the work. Use raised bed soil in raised beds and potting mix in containers. Carrots need extra care, as they prefer loose, well-worked soil free of rocks, because a stone or hard clod can bend or split a growing root, so it is advised to remove stones before sowing.
Give carrots room to grow
Carrots need patience to grow, for this begin by growing thin seedlings once they are about 3 inches tall so each root has room to grow, and to keep soil moist but not saturated, since overwatering may make carrots fork or crack.
How to grow carrots
Choose a sunny spot with 6 to 8 hours of light. Plant seedlings once the soil is warm, burying them a little deep. Add a stake or cage for support. Water regularly at the base, keeping soil moist. Feed with compost lightly, pick tomatoes when fully coloured, and enjoy the fresh taste.
Water steadily and keep regular checks
Plants need regular water, and the garden needs your time, so grow only what you can care for, or stick to easy herbs and sprouts. Plants need an inch of water weekly, but it is also important to check the soil first, as too much water can be harmful.
Protest plants from pests and diseases
Healthy plants fight trouble better, so it is important to check them every few days. Look under leaves for bugs, and pick pests off by hand when you spot them. Water at the base, give plants room for airflow, and remove sick leaves as soon as possible. Keeping your garden tidy also helps stop problems from spreading.
