July 1, 2026, 1:37 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Anyone starting out in gardening inevitably makes beginner mistakes. Some are practical and can be quickly fixed. Others, however, originate in the mind–through expectations, ideas, or the desire to do everything perfectly. These mistakes often linger longer and significantly shape one’s gardening journey. myHOMEBOOK gardening expert Franka Kruse-Gering reflects on her beginnings and shares three insights she would pass on to every gardening novice today.
Our family garden has always been a part of my life–but it wasn’t until adulthood that I understood how much love, time, and patience are needed to make it what it is. I planted, experimented, made mistakes, and learned an incredible amount. Not just about plants, but also about myself.
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My Garden Was Always There–Gardening Was Something I Had to Learn
Our garden has been with me my entire life. As a child, it was simply there–a place to play, hide, and run barefoot. I picked flowers, snacked on berries, and delighted in the fact that something was always blooming somewhere. Back then, I never thought about why our garden was so beautiful. It just was.
Today, I know how much work, knowledge, and above all, love went into it. My grandmother, my mother, and even my father tended to the garden with great dedication over many years. They knew exactly when a perennial needed dividing, which plant required pruning, or when the right time for fertilizing was. Almost always, a fresh bouquet from the garden graced our living room. From early spring to fall, something was always in bloom. As a child, this seemed completely normal to me.
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Over time, due to age and health reasons, my family increasingly lacked the strength and time to care for the garden as before. And I wasn’t yet at the point of taking responsibility myself. Gradually, some beds became overgrown, some plants disappeared, and much no longer looked as vibrant as it once did. Honestly, it often pained me to see the garden like that–but I also didn’t know where to start. Besides, with school, sports clubs, friends, pets, first love, and growing up, there was simply no time.
It wasn’t until years later that I discovered my love for gardening. And with it came the desire to restore the garden to the place I remembered from my childhood. I wanted lush beds, blooming corners, and bouquets from my own property. Ideally, I wanted it all back immediately.
But I completely underestimated one thing back then. The garden of my childhood wasn’t created in a single season. It was the result of decades of care, experience, and countless small tasks. Yet, I probably unconsciously expected to bring it back to that state in a short time. That’s exactly where my biggest beginner mistakes originated.
1. I Wanted Everything to Look Like It Used to Right Away
When I started to restore the garden, I had this one image in my mind. I wanted the garden from my childhood. Lush dahlias, roses in full bloom and fragrant, a well-kept lawn, and all the little details that made the garden come alive. This image was my motivation–but at the same time, it put me under incredible pressure.
As soon as I planted new perennials or sowed seeds, I waited for visible results. Almost daily, I walked through the garden, looking for every new leaf and every small shoot. When change didn’t happen, I began to doubt myself. Had I done something wrong? Did the plants need more water? Or just more attention? Today, I know that I should have done one thing above all: wait.
Because the most important things happen first underground. Roots grow, plants adapt to their location, and gather strength. From the outside, you see almost nothing of this. The garden has its own rhythm, and it cannot be rushed.
Today, it’s much easier for me to be patient. Still, I occasionally catch myself checking to see if a plant has finally grown. Then I have to remind myself that the most important developments often happen in secret and cannot be hurried.
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2. I Wanted to Do Everything Perfectly
With my enthusiasm for gardening came the desire to do everything right. I read books and watched videos. No gardening blog was safe from me. I didn’t want to make any mistakes. The beds should look neat, every plant should be healthy, and ideally, something should be blooming somewhere at all times of the year.
If a plant died or didn’t develop as I expected, I took it personally. I constantly asked myself what I had done wrong. In doing so, I had unconsciously set a standard that was hardly attainable: the garden of my childhood that had grown over decades. Today, I see it completely differently.
A garden is not perfect. It wasn’t perfect before either–I just never noticed it as a child. Back then, I didn’t see which plants needed replacing or how much work went into a blooming bed. I only saw the result.
Today, I even enjoy small imperfections. A rose that grows a bit crooked. A perennial that finds its own place. I eventually understood that the garden doesn’t grow according to my plan. And honestly, that’s a good thing.
That’s exactly what makes a garden lively. It’s not a showpiece, but a place where nature co-creates. Since I let go of the need to do everything perfectly, gardening has become much more enjoyable for me.
3. I Wanted Too Much at Once
When I discovered my passion for gardening, I couldn’t get enough. I wanted to implement everything at once. A new perennial bed here, a vegetable garden there, plus dahlias, hydrangeas, herbs, and of course, lots of flowers for the vase. Every visit to the garden center ended with new ideas–and usually with a full shopping cart and an empty wallet.
What I completely underestimated back then: Every plant needs attention. It wants to be watered, observed, pruned, or eventually relocated. Suddenly, I had so many projects at once that I hardly knew where to start. The initial enthusiasm sometimes turned into overwhelm. I felt frustration, sadness, and the thought of tearing everything down and just planting a low-maintenance lawn.
Today, I prefer to tackle one bed at a time and let the garden grow piece by piece. This way, I can observe what works well, which plants thrive, and where I might want to make changes.
Today, I no longer put pressure on myself. I now know that a garden is never finished. There are new ideas, new projects, and new challenges every year. Instead of trying to accomplish everything at once, I enjoy watching the garden develop piece by piece.