The Essential Gardening Checklist for Beginning Growers

Everything You Need to Begin Your Gardening Adventure

Are you a first time homeowner, spending your first spring in a new house, or just finding an interest in gardening for the first time? Whether you just want to plant a few flowers or a full-fledged vegetable garden, beginning a garden can seem intimidating. That’s why we’ve created this checklist of garden essentials to help you get started. We’ve also provided online resources for gardening hacks, choosing the right plants, and getting the most out of your backyard gardening experience.

Check out our Ultimate Gardening Guide Board on Pinterest for even more gardening ideas!

Ultimate Gardening Checklist

Gloves: Protect your hands from thorns, bugs, dirt, and anything else nature decides to throw at you.
Sun Hat: Protect yourself from those UV rays with a wide-brimmed straw or canvas hat.
Watering Can: Use a watering can to get those hard to reach hanging plants or to water delicate plants that can’t handle the hose.
Garden Hose with Adjustable Nozzle: Spring for a higher quality hose to avoid annoying kinks and leaks. An adjustable nozzle gives you more control as you water plants with varying needs.
Garden Cart: Keep all of your tools, potting soil, and new plants together in one convenient place as you move about the garden. No more walking back and forth to the garage or shed!
Wheelbarrow: Perfect for moving large quantities of dirt, lawn clippings, etc.
Long Handled Tools (Shovel, Rake, Hoe): For bigger jobs, including digging up roots, planting trees, tilling soil, and clearing debris from your planting space.
Short Handled Tools (Trowel, Claw thing,): For getting down and dirty planting flowers, vegetable starts, and seeds.
Shears: Use these to prune large branches and brambles.
Clippers: Use these to deadhead flowers, trim back small plants, and harvest vegetables without damaging the stalk or vine.
Garden Stool/Knee Saver: No matter your age, kneeling in the dirt for hours is bound to do a number on your knees. Place this pad under you to provide relief to your knees as you work.
Planter Beds: Corral your plants into planter beds to make planting, weeding, and harvesting easier.
Trellis: For climbing plants such as cucumber or beans, you’ll need a trellis for them to wind their way up.
Potting Table: This designated potting table lets you keep all your planting essentials in one place and provides you with a comfortable and convenient place to prepare your plants for planting.
Greenhouse: For the serious gardener, extend your growing season by adding a greenhouse to your garden. Perfect for starting plants earlier in the year or getting a few extra months of growing time in the fall.
Storage Shed: Keep all of your tools, potting soil, seeds, and other garden essentials together in one convenient place.