If you never thought that your thumb was green enough and that gardening was for hobbits, hopefully, some of the examples here will make you reconsider. With some work, research, and lots of patience, anyone can ensure that at least a handful of plants survive.

The ‘Gardening’ online group gathers horticultural enthusiasts worldwide to share advice and pictures of their creations. We also contacted gardening expert and home farmer Charles Dowding to learn more about what a beginner should keep in mind. So scroll down, upvote your favorites, and if you want to see more home gardens, check out our other article here.

More info: Reddit

#1 This Is A Children's Faerie Garden I Planted A Few Years Ago. It Lives On A 5 Foot Boulder, Has A Variety Of Evergreen And Deciduous Trees And Ground Covers, Mosses And Succulents. It's A Miniature Living Ecosystem That Goes Dormant In Winter And Is Home To Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Beetles And Fae

Image credits: Po3ticTreachery

#2 Should Have Let My Dogs Handle The Fall Planting!

Image credits: ClapBackBetty

#3 My DIY Potting Shed Made Mostly From Free Doors

Image credits: ohhomelygirl

We asked Charles Dowding what he would recommend to a first-time gardener who was nervous to begin. “Start small, say one bed of 1.2 x 2.4m. Adopt the no-dig approach: It's simple and easy, based on two things. One, the soil is undisturbed, allowing its organisms to work and multiply. You build on top of the existing network of life. And also it’s fine to dig a hole to plant a tree, or when harvesting potatoes!”

“Two, feed soil inhabitants with organic matter on the surface, from where they take it down. This aerates the soil and sets up a larder of nutrients for plant roots.” Charles is an advocate for leaving the soil ecosystem intact when gardening, as it’s more sustainable and can save you a lot of work. Let’s face it, digging is not a particularly fun activity unless you happen to be a mole.

#4 My Wife's Haul From Her Garden This Morning

Image credits: partybenson

#5 My Wife Let Me Keep The Seed Starting Area In The Living Room, But Only On The Condition That She Can Turn The Grow Light Into A Cloud. I Think It Turned Out Pretty Sweet

Image credits: BettawithBretta

#6 Pulled A Test Ear On The Glass Gem Corn! Zone 5b

Image credits: dinosaurparty14

We also wanted to know what misconceptions Charles has run into when educating and training other gardeners. “It's easier than often claimed. You don't need to dig, you don't need to practice a rotation, you don't need to feed or fertilize your plants unless in containers, you can walk on your beds if you need to, and you have plenty of scope to be creative.” He recommends using free, online resources like YouTube to learn more.

#7 Making Garden Markers With My Daughter

Image credits: FungirlieGrower

#8 My Younger Sibling (13) Made A Rainbow Garden. They Are Very Proud Of It And Wanted Me To Post It

Image credits: Lost-Ad-7412

#9 My Son's Memorial Garden. Gardening Helps Me So Much Mentally To Get Through Some Really Rough Moments. October Is Both My Son's Birth Month And Death. This October He Will Be Gone 2 Years. He Would Be 19 This Year. How Does Gardening Help You?

Image credits: reddit.com

“When starting out, weeds can be tamed easily with surface covers such as cardboard in particular. Soil that is firm is not compacted, and plants like rooting into firm soil. You can plant into straight compost, Plants then root down into the soil below,” he added, giving some more specific examples of how a novice gardener could start and what not to be afraid of. In general, fear of gardening is a bit irrational, it's not like the dead plants will take revenge.

#10 My Patio Garden After Washing The Deck

Image credits: biborno

#11 Possibly My Last Bouquet Before The Frost

Image credits: mazekeen19

#12 The Head Just Fits Perfectly

Image credits: falselyknock77

Lastly, we wanted him to expand upon what resources a beginner could use to develop their skills. Firstly, he recommended his book, as well as guides he put together to help keep track of planting times and other seasonal effects. Note that much of the information is geared toward the UK. Lastly, he encouraged an attitude of curiosity and to be constantly asking questions. “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).”

#13 Guess My Trowel Is Out Of Commission For A Couple Weeks

Image credits: doubleplusfabulous

#14 I Was Wondering Why My Kale Was Missing Leaves At The Base

Image credits: tomarrow

#15 My 91yo Grandmother’s Tomato Harvest This Year

Image credits: ConcentrateFun4726

As previously mentioned, no dig could be a great way to start gardening if you happen to be in an area that is relatively fertile. While it has numerous environmental benefits, the main advantage for the novice gardener is that it does not require nearly as much physical work. Who wants to pull a muscle digging holes all day just to see a crop die? Perhaps that sounds pessimistic, but like cooking or pottery, you need to accept that the first few attempts might not work out.