First, you want to understand what their needs and requirements are.  As tempted as you may be to plant lots straight away, it’s always easier to start small. A simple shrub, some flowers, or a couple of vegetables depending on what you are after. This is so you can take the time to really get to know each plant and give the right attention to each one.

Some great plants to look at planting to get you started could be Camellias such as Camellias Senorita, Camellias Donation, Camellia Golden Anniversary, and more. They come in a range of sizes but don’t usually grow too tall so are ideal for smaller gardens as well. They don’t require any pruning and only need faded flowers removed to keep them healthy.

Another option could be Photinia. They are easy to maintain and require minimum pruning, just a trim on the top of the plant in spring or early summer. This will encourage new leaves to grow as well as keep the shrub tidy. An evergreen variety would be Photinia ‘Red Robin‘. This produces white flowers that are followed by red berries and makes a great, easy shrub to plant.

Once you have chosen simple plants to start with and understand their maintenance needs, you can then make a plan for future planting.

Next, you will want to assess each area of your garden before you commit to planting. Planning the positioning of your garden and knowing these important factors will help you when it comes to keeping your trees, flowers, and shrubs alive.

Pay attention to where the sunlight shines through your garden and understand the growing conditions before, this will benefit your garden in the long run.

There are many trees that like direct sunlight including Silver Birch Trees. These trees will actually grow in direct sunlight or shade. They are great trees to plant for beginner gardeners as they are easy to maintain and will survive through harsh winters.

A great tree that prefers full shade and is good for beginner gardeners, is the Yew Tree. This can grow in deep shade and thrives in most soils. Yew Trees only need to be clipped or pruned as regularly as you like as they can be left to grow to their full extent.

The climate will always affect how your plants will grow. This is why it is best for you to know what each flower, tree, shrub, vegetable, etc like to help them thrive.

Plant watering isn’t as straightforward as you might think. It can take time and experience to really understand how to properly do it. Here are a couple of factors to consider whilst watering your garden:

1.  Water the roots: focus the water on the base of the plant so it can soak down to the roots. This also stops the potential spread of diseases.

2. Be careful of overwatering: this can cause the plant to die (just the same as if you were to under-water the plant).

3. Apply the water slowly: this is so you give the water chance to seep into the soil.

4. Use quality soil: this can help improve water retention.

5. Don’t forget to mulch your garden: take a look at our guide on how and when to mulch your garden.

Top tip: collecting rainwater in a water butt is a great way to reuse water and stop wastage.

It’s also a good idea to understand how to feed your plants. Like all other living things, plants need a supply of food and water to stay healthy. Although plants are able to make their own food having those additional nutrients will really benefit them.

There are many varieties of easy-to-plant trees, flowers, and shrubs that can help encourage wildlife into your garden. As it becomes more common for habitats in the wild to be damaged or destroyed, wildlife is more commonly relying on our back gardens. They help to increase biodiversity and provide shelter and food resources for them.

Consider planting trees and shrubs that are attractive to wildlife. Fruit & Nut trees are a great place to start when it comes to considering wildlife as they provide them with regular food and nutrients. We have a range of Fruit & Nut Trees for sale that you can plant to help create a haven for animals. Fruit Trees we recommend for this would include Apple Trees which are great for beginners, Cherry Trees, and Pear Trees. These all attract a range of different wildlife with their fruits.

There are many different varieties of Nut Trees that can also be useful food sources for wildlife such as Sweet Chestnut Trees and Walnut Trees. Sweet Chestnut Trees are fast-growing and are suitable for larger gardens. Walnut Trees are easy to grow as they require little pruning and need watering only when they are becoming established. Have a read of our previous blog to find out more about our must-have trees to attract wildlife.

We also have other options such as mini meadows and bee bombs. Mini Meadows are an easy sow pack that is perfect for beginner gardeners to attract wildlife as they require very little aftercare. It’s the ideal way to provide the perfect habitat for pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies.

Beebombs are small bags of 1000s of seeds that are wrapped in clay and soil to provide a protective habitat and increase germination rates. These are also great for beginners as they require little effort. Just scatter them onto the cleared ground (we recommend doing this in Spring and Autumn) that has full access to sunlight and rainfall.