Bored Panda got in touch with home farmer, gardener and general horticultural expert Charles Dowding to learn more about growing things. First and foremost, we wanted to hear his take on what to plant. After all, there is one school of thought that believes in purely aesthetic gardens, while others strive for “practicality.” 

“Edible plants have their own beauty. Vegetables of different colors and structure can look good all year especially when using no dig methods. That’s because you can easily keep replanting to have a full garden, and no dig plants look healthier with glowing leaves,” he shared. 

Naturally, if you will pardon the pun, we were curious to hear his opinion on what sorts of plants are good for beginners. “Potatoes, courgette/zucchini, garlic (plant October), salad onions and salad leaves of any kind. Especially lettuce which can produce so much when you “pick and come again”, and homegrown lettuce has great flavor!”

So if you are interested in learning more, Charles suggested a few resources. “If you don’t know it yet, please check out the no dig method via my website and YouTube channel. No dig saves so much time, whether you grow ornamentals or vegetables. You will notice your plants looking exuberant, fewer weeds, and more time to enjoy the garden.”

Charles also left us with some parting thoughts on what sort of questions to ask yourself. “Become curious! How do plants grow? New research into rhizophagy shows the importance of bacteria. How much watering is necessary? Often less! What is the best spacing? Depends partly on what you want from the plants.” If you want to see more gardening memes, check out our previous article on the topic.