If you’re looking for a way to get into gardening, or if you’re just starting out, this guide is for you! We’ll walk you through the basics of gardening at home, from choosing the right plants to setting up and maintaining your garden. So, whether you have a green thumb or not, read on for all the information you need to start gardening today!

#1 Plan Your Location

The first step to starting a garden at home is finding the right spot. You’ll want to consider things like sun exposure, soil type, and drainage when choosing a location. If you’re not sure where to start, maybe try a spot this year then adjust more next year while you gain experience. You won’t be able to know ALL the things the first year you garden. Just getting out there to do it is key and each year will get better!

Find your last frost dates for your area/state by checking your zone for planting. This shows you what you can put out in the garden first and when to harvest. You can also find your last frost date here.

#2 Choose Your Plants

Now that you’ve found the spot for your garden, it’s time to choose what you want to grow! When picking plants, pay attention to their light and water needs.

Some easy-to-grow vegetables include:

– lettuce

– tomatoes

– cucumbers

– green beans

– zucchini

These are all really great for beginners because they don’t require a lot of attention or care. You can also try herbs like basil, cilantro, and mint.

Start with just a few plants and add more as you get comfortable gardening. It’s better to have a small garden that you can take care of than a large one that gets neglected. Remember, gardening is supposed to be fun! Not overwhelming. Seed germination rate is important, so I like to purchase seeds from True Leaf Market.

#3 Determine Size and Type of Garden Bed

Now that you know what you want to grow, it’s time to prepare the garden bed. What type of garden bed is best for where you are at? Raised Beds or a Vertical setup?

Raised Garden Beds:

If you have poor soil, want to garden on a deck or patio, have limited space, or want less weeding, raised garden beds might be the way to go. They are also great for gardening with children because they can reach everything easily.

Vertical gardening

Perfect for small spaces! This type of gardening uses trellises or other structures to grow plants upward. Tomatoes and cucumbers are great vegetables to grow vertically since they are vining plants.

If you’re not sure which type of garden bed is right for you, try out a few different ones! Gardening is all about experimentation and finding what works best for you and your space. The pictured above is a GreenStalk Vertical Garden Tower and it is the best vertical system on the market. You can use “ZILE10” to get $10 off your order. I also talk about it in this post how it works.

Size of Garden Space

The great thing about gardening is that you can do it in ANY size of space. From a single pot on your windowsill to an entire backyard, there is room for gardening. If you’re just starting out, I recommend a small space so you don’t feel overwhelmed. You can always expand next year!

Keep in mind:

– The amount of sun exposure your garden gets

– The type of soil in your garden

– The drainage of your garden bed

– The plants you want to grow

– The type and size of garden bed you want to create

All these factors will help determine the perfect location for your new garden!

#4 Garden tools

Now that you have a plan for your garden, it’s time to get started! But before you can start gardening, you need the proper tools. Here is a list of basic gardening tools that every gardener needs:

– Shovel

– rake

– watering can or hose

You might also want to consider investing in some gloves for working in the garden. We garden regeneratively which means we work with nature versus against it using minimal tilling and soil disturbance. This helps prevent pests and keep the soil nutritious, so our food is nutritious. Yes, you can have vegetables with little nutrition grown in nutrient-depleted soil. Here you can check out simple ways to work with your garden regeneratively that can actually help you manage pests! We love to buy all of our Garden tools here because they have everything you really could ever need.

#5 Test your soil

Now that you have your gardening tools, it’s time to test your soil. Why is this important? Testing your soil will help you determine what nutrients it might be lacking so you can add them. It will also give you a better idea of the drainage and texture of your soil. All these factors play an important role in gardening and can help you determine what plants will grow best in your space.

There are two main ways to test your soil:

– At-home testing kits

– Sending a sample to a local extension office

If you want to get really detailed with your results, I recommend sending a sample to a local extension office. They will be able to tell you everything about your soil including pH levels, nutrient levels, and more. This information can be really helpful when it comes to gardening!

If you want a quick and easy way to test your soil, at-home testing kits are the way to go. They are simple to use and will give you a general idea of the nutrient levels in your soil.

No matter which method you choose, testing your soil is an important step in gardening at home for the first time.

#6 Build the soil

Now that you know what your soil needs, it’s time to build it up! This is important because healthy soil equals healthy plants. There are a few different ways to do this:

– Add compost

– Add manure

– Use mulch OR Straw

– Worm Casting

All of these methods will help improve the quality of your soil and provide nutrients for your plants. If you’re not sure which method to use, I recommend starting with compost. It’s an easy way to add nutrients and improve the texture of your soil.

If you want to get really serious about building up your soil, I recommend using all of these methods. They will all work together to create healthy, nutrient-rich soil that will produce bountiful harvests!

Building up your soil is an important step in gardening and it’s something that you should do every year. By taking the time to improve your soil, you’ll be rewarded with healthier plants and bigger harvests! Check out my post on 4 ways to Garden Regeneratively.

#7 Choose Seeds or Transplants

Now that you have a plan and the proper tools, it’s time to choose your seeds or transplants. If you’re not sure what the difference is, here’s a quick rundown:

– Seeds are small, dried-up versions of plants. They need to be planted in soil and given the proper conditions to germinate (sprout). Once they sprout, they will grow into full-fledged plants.

– Transplants are young plants that have already been started from seed. They can be bought at most gardening stores and nurseries. All you need to do is plant them in your garden bed! These tend to cost more when you add up all your garden costs though.

If you’re just starting out, I recommend choosing transplants over seeds. They are easier to care for and don’t require as much attention. Plus, you’ll get to see what your plants look like before you even plant them in your garden! When I started gardening at home, I used seeds that I started, and it was a little confusing stressful because I wanted to try so many different vegetables!

#8 Planting

Once you’ve chosen your seeds or transplants, it’s time to plant them in your garden bed!

There are a few things to keep in mind when planting:

– Make sure the plants have enough space to grow. Each plant will need about 16 inches of space.

– Plant tall plants on the north side of the bed so they don’t shade out the smaller plants.

– Water regularly and deeply. This will help the roots grow deep and strong.

#9 Caring for the garden

Now that your plants are in the ground, it’s time to start caring for them! This includes things like:

– Watering

– Fertilizing

– Weeding

– Pest control

All of these things are important in gardening and will help your plants grow healthy and strong. I recommend checking on your garden every day or two to make sure everything is going well.

If you’re not sure how to do something, there are tons of resources available that can help you learn to garden. Gardening is a lifelong learning process, so don’t be afraid to ask questions or experiment with different techniques. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the process!

Here are some resources to help guide you to learn more about gardening:

+ Building Soil

+ First Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables

+ The Backyard Homestead

The biggest thing is to create your habit now to remember to go weed the garden or water it. In the beginning, I use to set alarm clocks for every day to go water and spend 5 minutes a day weeding.

#10 Harvest

After all your hard work, it’s finally time to harvest your crops! This is the most rewarding part of gardening at home.

There’s nothing like walking out to your garden and picking fresh fruits and vegetables that you grew yourself.

Harvesting also teaches patience because, in most cases, you have to wait weeks or even months for your plants to mature. But trust me, the wait is worth it!

Start by harvesting the small fruits and vegetables first. These include things like:

– Lettuce (usually you get multiple cuttings and can replant through season)

– Radishes

– Green beans

As the season goes on, you can start harvesting larger items like:

– Tomatoes

– Cucumbers

– Squash

Enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor! Gardening at home is a great way to help you learn to be more self-sustainable. It’s also a great way to relax and de-stress. I hope this guide has helped you learn how to start a garden at home!

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