Martha Stewart Is Begging You To Avoid This Gardening Beginner Mistake

If you're thinking of starting a garden, you need to learn how to do things slowly but surely. Gardening requires a long-term commitment, so it can get exhausting if you get too ambitious from the start. Martha Stewart, who owns several homes with beautiful and expansive gardens, has explained on YouTube why it's better to start small while answering a fan question about the biggest mistake anyone can make when starting a garden.

"The biggest mistake is starting too big. If you start with a smaller plot of land, you can really master the art of growing. Then you can get bigger and bigger... and make a more elaborate garden," she said. Starting too big can backfire fast. Picture this: two beginners start gardening at the same time. The first gardener digs up a large backyard area and fills it with many different plants. On the other hand, the second gardener plants just a few vegetables in a small raised bed. A few weeks later, the first gardener is overwhelmed by watering schedules, pests, and wilting plants. Meanwhile, the second gardener's about to harvest their first handful of fresh greens.

Stewart's advice highlights the experience of the second gardener for a good reason. By starting with a more manageable space, the second gardener was able to give all their effort to only a few plants. This saved them from feeling overburdened by their gardening duties. It also likely helped them build their confidence in growing or expanding their garden later.

To follow Martha Stewart's advice and start your garden small, first pick an easy spot to work with, such as an elevated bed, a couple of containers, or maybe a small section of your yard that receives good sunlight. If you are planning to grow a food garden, Stewart recommends starting with lettuce. "You can plant all kinds of lettuce, and there are hundreds of varieties. Lettuce is so rewarding, because you can pick it as a leaf or you can let some of them go to heads and get delicious, healthy greens for your salad bowl," she says on her YouTube channel.

Lettuce also grows fast and does not require much space, so it's a good choice for your first plant. Other options to consider are basil, radishes, and tomatoes. Should you go with the latter, Stewart has a hack for growing stronger and healthier tomato plants, which is to use a simple bamboo stake system. Regardless of which one you pick, your first plant can help gauge how much time you are willing to allot to your duties as a gardener.

If you find the setup already overwhelming, then you should consider starting even smaller — like growing an herb garden in your kitchen. Many of Stewart's favorite essential herbs are easy to grow on a windowsill with adequate sunlight. Remember: Gardening is meant to be joyful, not stressful. Starting small keeps it fun and achievable, and it also gives you more time and room to grow as a gardener.