As the ground thaws and the temperature warms up, colorful gardens begin to bloom throughout Southwest Louisiana’s neighborhoods.

Gardening has been proven to be beneficial for physical and mental health. It encourages people to get outside and move, and can reduce stress, improve moods and stimulate the brain. Curry Benoit, a manager at the Green Gate Garden Center in Lake Charles, can attest to this.

He began gardening when he was 17. What started as a simple new hobby became an energizing lifestyle. Not only is there something to gain from getting outside and soaking up the sun, but a successful garden can also bring an individual personal fulfillment and a feeling of purpose and accomplishment.

“I started waking up in the morning, and instead of getting coffee, I would check on my garden and water my plants.”

As someone who was once a beginner, he confidently said that all someone needs to start their first garden is a shovel and some seeds.

What to plant

Green gardeners should focus on plants that are easy to grow and maintain – and pretty to look at. Benoit said newbie plants are easy to care for, and witnessing a garden flourish encourages new gardeners to keep up the habit.

He recommended Coleus Plants. These annual plants are vibrant and low maintenance. Putting foliage in a garden, especially foliage that is easy to grow, is a great step to take to fill the space with vibrant colors while one is still learning the ropes.

“The leaves are colorful, many are red and orange, and help fill the garden while you wait for flowers to bloom.”

Calcium bulbs are also a good, easy option for colorful garden foliage.

Phineas plants are a great option for beginners because they can handle drought as well as over-saturation.

“A lot of beginner gardeners will forget to water their plants for a couple of days, so a Phineas can handle that,” he said.

Herbs are also a Benoit recommendation. As another easy-to-grow plant, herbs are greenery that can be frequently reaped.

“Herbs grow fast, are easy to harvest and help fill the time while you are waiting for your other plants to grow,” he explained. “You have something to constantly go back to.”

Butterfly garden

A good option for new gardeners is a pollinator garden.

These gardens attract pollinators — animals that help plant reproduction by moving pollen between flowers — and support their populations. Benoit said this is especially important for butterfly populations; Twenty-nine species of butterflies are endangered in the United States. He is especially passionate about monarch butterflies, which have seen a steep decline in populations due to habitat loss.

A good pollinator garden includes flowers like saliva, bee balm and aster. Milkweed is another important plant to include. Not only is it the only plant on which monarch butterflies with lay their eggs, but it also attracts aphids — insects that harm plants by feeding on their sap.

Tips

One of the most important steps to keep in mind when beginning the gardening journey is to always fertilize, he said. Fertilizer replenishes essential nutrients in the soil (like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) to help plants flourish. And yes, a gardeners should use fertilizer on ungardened ground, too.

“A lot of people think they don’t need to fertilize because the ground hasn’t been used yet, but grass has been there. The grass sucks up all the nutrients, especially the nitrogen.”

He also recommended starting a garden with flowers and plants that are already in their infant stages because it can be difficult and discouraging to start with seeds.