Spoiler alert: There is no “right” way to garden.
Especially if you, like me, are a bit messy, a bit moody, and operating somewhere between “I want to live off the land” and “I barely remembered to water my houseplants.”
Welcome to the club.
Let’s talk about picking a gardening style that fits your life — not the internet’s idea of what a “real gardener” looks like.
Step 1. Embrace Your Gardening Personality
Before you even think about raised beds, containers, or letting chaos reign, you’ve got to be honest with yourself:
- Are you someone who loves to plan and organize?
- Do you want instant gratification with the least amount of work?
- Are you the kind of person who’d rather throw seeds around and see what happens?
No judgment.
Gardens, like people, thrive when they match their environment. Choose the vibe that matches your reality, not your fantasy.
Option 1. Raised Beds — For the “I Need Some Structure or I’ll Explode” Crowd
What Are Raised Beds?
Think of them as big, organized boxes full of soil that you plant stuff in.
Raised beds are neat. Contained. Manageable. They’re basically the bullet journal of gardening.
Pros:
- Controlled soil quality: No more fighting rocky, miserable native soil.
- Weed control: Way fewer random weeds.
- Accessibility: Easier on your back and knees.
- Good for crop rotation: If you’re feeling fancy.
Cons:
- Startup work: Building beds and filling them with soil takes time (and money).
- Maintenance: You’ll still have to weed, water, and occasionally fix stuff.
- Pressure to “do it right”: Can feel intimidating if you’re overwhelmed easily.
Best for:
- People who like a little order.
- Folks with tough or terrible native soil.
- Gardeners who want a “real” garden without committing to full ground planting.
Moody Messy Tip:
If you’re feeling chaotic but still want raised beds, build just one. Seriously. One raised bed is a whole garden if that’s what you can handle.
Option 2. Container Gardening — For the “I Need Wins, and I Need Them Fast” People
What Is Container Gardening?
Planting stuff in pots, buckets, bins, or whatever random containers you can find.
Pros:
- Flexibility: Move your plants around as needed.
- Instant garden: No digging, no tilling.
- Space-friendly: Perfect for balconies, patios, porches, or small yards.
- Micro-mood wins: You can grow herbs, veggies, and flowers without feeling like you have to manage a whole farm.
Cons:
- Watering: Containers dry out faster. You’ll need to water more often.
- Root limitations: Some veggies need big pots to really thrive.
- Costs add up: Pots + good soil + plants = sneaky expenses.
Best for:
- Renters.
- People who get overwhelmed easily.
- Impatient humans who want to see something NOW.
Moody Messy Tip:
Use mismatched pots. Old buckets. Thrift store finds. Embrace the “goblin garden” aesthetic. It’s charming, I promise.
Option 3. Chaos Gardening — For the “I Am a Feral Woodland Creature” Energy
What Is Chaos Gardening?
You toss seeds around. You let nature decide what survives. You follow some loose vibes instead of a strict plan.
Also called “wild sowing” or “naturalized gardening” — but let’s be honest, it’s chaos.
Pros:
- Low pressure: No perfect rows. No tedious maintenance.
- Biodiversity: Lots of different plants = healthier soil and fewer pests.
- Surprise factor: You never know what will thrive, and it’s magical.
Cons:
- Unpredictable: Not for control freaks.
- Weeds: Nature’s gonna nature.
- Less food security: You might not get neat harvests like in a traditional setup.
Best for:
- Folks who want to heal their relationship with control.
- People who love wildflowers, herbs, and “happy accidents.”
- Gardeners burned out by perfectionism.
Moody Messy Tip:
Start a “chaos patch” somewhere small. Toss some extra seeds there. See what happens. No pressure.
Step 2. Match Your Energy (Not Your Aspirations)
It’s tempting to look at Instagram gardens and think, “I’ll build a 12-bed permaculture farm in my backyard by next weekend.”
Breathe.
Ask yourself:
- How much time do I actually have?
- How much energy do I actually have?
- How much space do I actually have?
Pick the style that fits your current energy, not your dream self’s energy.
If you’ve got:
- 15 minutes a day: Containers are your friend.
- Weekend energy: Raised beds might work.
- No bandwidth at all: Chaos gardening is a gift.
Gardening should add peace, not pressure.
Step 3. Start Ridiculously Small
No, smaller than that.
Start with:
- One raised bed (4×4 ft is PLENTY)
- Three containers (tomato, basil, and maybe some lettuce)
- One chaos patch (an empty corner and a packet of seeds)
Prove to yourself that you can nurture one thing before you overwhelm yourself with fifty.
Progress in gardening isn’t measured in acres. It’s measured in tiny sprouts, stubborn green shoots, and the fact that you came back to check on them again.
Step 4. Accept the Ugly Phases
No matter which style you choose, there will be ugly moments.
- Yellow leaves.
- Plants flopping over.
- Random patches of dirt where nothing came up.
It’s not failure.
It’s just part of the process.
Every lush garden you’ve ever admired went through an awkward, messy stage. Yours will too.
That’s okay.
(So do humans.)
Step 5. Celebrate the Weird Wins
Wins you’re allowed to celebrate:
- A pot of basil that survived your chaos.
- A raised bed that only mostly got taken over by weeds.
- A patch of flowers that sprang up from seeds you forgot you threw down.
Gardening teaches you to value effort, not outcomes.
To love trying, not perfecting.
To find magic in the half-grown, half-forgotten corners of your life.
Your Garden, Your Rules
You don’t owe anybody a “perfect” garden.
You don’t have to grow a year’s worth of food.
You don’t have to pull weeds religiously or plant in straight lines or even remember what you planted where.
You just have to show up. Put some life into the ground. Water it sometimes. Hope a little.
Gardening is messy.
Gardening is chaotic.
Gardening is glorious.
So whether you build a tidy raised bed, cluster some pots together like a goblin queen, or throw seeds to the wind like a feral witch, just know:
You’re doing it right.
And you’re growing more than you realize.