Five years ago, my older sister gave me a flower bulb she bought at Walgreens. Obediently, I planted it in a large pot, gave it lots of sunshine, and watered it regularly. The plant grew slowly over a long period of time, but it never bloomed. After two years with no red flowers like the packaging had promised, I thought my sister had pranked me and given me an onion plant (that’s what it most closely resembled). 

Alas, I was on the verge of giving up, that is until I saw something strange. From the base of the plant, a new leaf was forming. Unlike the other thin and elongated foliage sprawled around about it, this little green thing resembled more of a stump. 

As the days went by, the little stump grew upwards, becoming more and more of a sturdy green tree trunk. Then, when the stalk was about two feet tall, the bulb at the top cracked open, spewing out four gorgeous palm-sized red flowers. All my persistence the past two years had paid off. 

As you can see, it does not take a seasoned expert gardener to find success. Planting flowers, vegetables, or herbs is easy, fun, and rewarding. With the onset of spring, it is a good time to think ahead about what greenery you want to undertake this season. Some vegetables (e.g., tomatoes from seeds) do well if they are started inside under an ultraviolet light and a controlled environment. 

Other landscaping projects like transplanting your existing flowers or bushes are best to do before they start flowering and become too large to easily move. Just planning out what seeds to buy and where you’re going to plant them can also be beneficial to start early. 

However, if life is busy for you at the moment, don’t stress. Gardening should be a relaxing activity. There is no need to kick-off your garden right away if you don’t have the time to do so. 

As with my red flowers, consistency is the most significant thing in gardening. Simply not forgetting you have planted something is a big step in the right direction. I have been looking forward to spring for a while now, and I hope this article will make you as excited as me to start growing!