Ready to Start a Garden? Why You’re Not Behind (Beginner Gardening Mindset)

If you’re new to gardening and feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. In this episode, we talk about beginner gardening mindset, why so many new gardeners feel unsure about where to start, and how busy families can begin growing with confidence — without doing everything at once.

If you’ve been thinking about gardening but feel intimidated, confused, or unsure whether now is the “right time,” this episode is for you.

We talk about:

• Why curiosity is actually the first step to becoming a gardener
  
  
  
• The common belief that you need to know everything before you start — and why that belief keeps people stuck
  
  
  
• How winter is a powerful season for observing, dreaming, and building clarity
  
  
  
• What “starting a garden” really means (and what it definitely does not mean)
  
  
  

This episode is especially for want-to-be gardeners, busy parents, and families who want a slower, healthier, more connected relationship with food — but don’t want pressure, perfection, or overwhelm.

🌱 You don’t need to rush.
 🌱 You don’t need a perfect plan.
 🌱 You just need permission to begin gently.

If this episode made you think of someone who’s always said, “I want to garden… I just don’t know where to start,” consider sharing it with them.

And if you’re wondering what kind of gardener you are — or what your next best step might be — you can take my free GrowSona Quiz at
 👉 VibrantRainbowGardens.com/quiz

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:19

Hey there, welcome back to Grow With Vibrant Rainbow Gardens broadcast. If this is your first time here, I'm really glad you found your way to this episode. I want to start by talking directly to you. If you've been thinking about gardening lately, not obsessively, not with a full plan, just thinking about it. Maybe you caught yourself imagining fresh herbs in your garden, in your kitchen, or wishing your kids could see where food actually comes from. Or feeling that quiet pull toward doing something slower, healthier, more connected. Right alongside that curiosity, there's also this question always hovering around in the background. I like the idea, but I don't know where to start. Or even does it even sen make any sense to think about gardening right now? If that sounds familiar, you're who this episode is for. It's actually the first stage of becoming a gardener. Winter especially is a season of not doing anything. It's a season of noticing. Most experienced gardeners I know aren't rushing around right now. They are walking their garden slowly. They are paying attention to light and shade. They are thinking about what worked last year and what did not. They are dreaming, they are plotting where to expand, how to grow more, how to add without adding too much work to them. So if you are in that quiet space, curious space, where gardening feels interesting but also a little intimidating, you are exactly where gardeners begin. There's a very common belief that sneaks in right about here. It sounds like I need to know more before I start. I should understand gardening and growing vegetables better first. I don't want to miss it up. And honestly, that belief makes sense. There's a lot of information out there. There's so many opinions, so many rules, so many pictures of perfect gardens that make you feel like you need a degree just to grow basil. So your brain tries to protect you by saying, let's wait until we are more prepared. But here's the truth: you don't need to know everything to begin thinking like a gardener. In fact, trying to know everything is often what keeps people stuck. Let's reframe what it actually means to start a garden. Starting does not mean buying raised beds, ordering seeds, digging up your yard, or committing to anything yet. Starting means noticing what kind of light your space gets, paying attention to what your family actually eats, learning your climate, asking questions, letting yourself be curious. Starting a garden begins with clarity, not action. And clarity grows slowly, especially in winter. You can start gardening without planting a single thing. You can start by noticing where the sun falls in the morning, which meals your family loves, what feels exciting instead of overwhelming. That counts, that's real. That's how sustainable gardens grow. And one. This is actually one of my favorite times of the year as a garden coach. Winter gives us permission to slow down. I use this season to walk through my garden without an agenda. I notice where the water settles. I notice which spot gets the best light. Where things feel easily, where they don't. I see the same thing with families I work with too. The ones who give themselves time to observe instead of rushing often build the most confident, enjoyable gardens later on. They are not reacting, they are choosing. Curiosity is enough. When you remove the pressure, learning becomes lighter. And when learning feels lighter, confidence grows naturally. And every share helps someone realize that gardening doesn't have to be complicated or overwhelming. It can be gentle, it can fit real life, it can start right where they are. And if you're listening and wondering what kind of gardener you are or what your next best step actually is, I created a free quiz to help with that. And it helps you figure out your gardening style, your biggest challenges, and what will actually work for your season of life. Whether you're a total beginner or just need clarity. You can take it at vibrantrainbogardens.com forward slash quiz. And I will send you personalized guidance right after. Thank you for being here, for listening, and for helping this little garden of a podcast grow. I'll see you in the next episode.