Home gardening is a lot more than just a hobby ? it can be family time that's fun! The great thing is that no matter how young or how old you are doesn't matter, it's a wonderful pastime at any age. Did you know that out of every 10 US households, 8 do some kind of home gardening? This could just be a pot of herbs or a bed of flowers or landscaping the front portion of the house or maybe a vegetable garden at the back. Let's take a look at what to do when the home gardening bug bites you.

Most people start with flowers. The first flower of choice is usually the rose. Ideally, one should start planting flowers that are easier to look after, as roses need a lot of care. There are a number of hardy yet beautiful blooms that come up quickly and don't take up too much of your time. If you think flowers are beyond you, try starting with your lawn. You could buy the grass and all it takes is watering after lay it out. Then if your home gardening interests grow, you could progress to shrubs, rocks, ponds and decorative paraphernalia to beautify your garden. The only problem is that once you're hooked, it can become an addiction.

Vegetables are also fairly easy to grow. It really is great if your home gardening hobby means you have a fresh homegrown salad on your table to show off. Talk to a few people who are experienced who can guide you as to which vegetable to grow in which season. You could also try to cultivate an herb garden, which can be grown in pots indoor as well. These are easy to grow and there's nothing like fresh thyme, sage, basil or oregano to add flavor to the food.

Some home gardening enthusiasts get more adventurous and plant fruit trees too. This is a more long-term proposition but so satisfying. Apricots and peaches are fairly easy to grow. Or, if you want fruits quickly and don't really have the space to grow trees, try the smaller plants or creepers like strawberries and raspberries. No dessert can beat that homegrown taste.

The only thing you need to be prepared for when you take up home gardening is to give it your time and care. Plants are like babies ? they need to be tended, they need a lot of TLC. The great thing is they reward you with treats that are visual and edible and you get a lot of pleasure along the way.

Copyright 2006 Ngullen Rivera