Home / Hobbies / Gardening

Gardening QuickStart

Grow something you can eat or admire in a weekend — even if all you have is a windowsill.

Start small. Really small.

The most common mistake new gardeners make is starting with a full vegetable bed. Don't. Start with three containers of something that's hard to kill. Once those are thriving, expand.

The minimum you need

Heads up — some links below are affiliate links. We earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.

• Three 1-gallon containers with drainage holes

  Terracotta, plastic, or a repurposed yogurt tub with holes drilled in the bottom.

  ~$10–20
  Shop options

• A bag of quality potting mix

  Not "garden soil" or "topsoil" — those compact in pots. You want potting mix.

  ~$10
  Shop options

• Seeds or starter plants

  For your first garden: basil, cherry tomatoes, and leaf lettuce. All three are forgiving and satisfying.

  ~$5–15
  Shop options

• A small watering can or spray bottle

  Seedlings need a gentle touch. A Mason jar works in a pinch.

  ~$10
  Shop options

Your first weekend

1. Find your sun. Watch a windowsill or balcony for a day. If it gets 6+ hours of direct sun, you can grow most edibles. Less than 4? Stick to leafy greens and herbs.
2. Fill your containers. Potting mix to about an inch below the rim. Moisten it before planting.
3. Plant. Seeds go as deep as twice their diameter. Starter plants go in at the same depth they came in.
4. Water gently until it drains out the bottom. That's how you know the root ball is soaked.
5. Check daily. Stick your finger in the soil — if the top inch is dry, water. If not, don't. Overwatering kills more plants than underwatering.

Where to go next