What you need to start gardening
Before you begin your gardening adventure, you must first decide what you want to grow and where you want to grow it. Do you want to grow flowers or vegetables? Where will your garden be located? Will there be enough sunlight? These are some questions you will need to answer before you begin to garden.
Once you decide where you want to have your garden, do some research about the type of flowers or vegetables that you intend to grow. You may want to select flowers or vegetables that will grow the best in the location you have chosen. For example, if you want to grow flowers on your deck that is shaded much of the time, try to choose flowers that need less sunlight. If you choose plants that are unsuitable for the area, you will be disappointed. So be sure to find out before purchasing your garden plants if they will flourish in the location you have chosen.
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You will need a notebook before and during your gardening experience. In your garden "journal" you will want to draw a sketch of your garden and where you intend to place your plants. You can either make a rough draft, just the basics or you can draft an advanced design using exact measurements. Graph paper is best to use if you are going to draw an advanced draft. You will also want to jot down items you need for your garden. It is also a good idea to take note of any gardening questions that you may have so the next time you are at your local home & garden store you can ask one of the staff. There is also a lot of gardening information that is available on the Internet, and at your local library to help with any questions or problems you may experience. Gardening websites and books can also give you tons of ideas and recommendations.
Now that you have your garden journal, the intended garden location and the plants that will grow best in that location, it is time to prepare the soil in the garden. You will need only compost or manure, if the soil is a good, friable soil. There are a variety of different types of manure available, such as sheep, cow, chicken and others. If your soil is clay, you will need compost or peat moss, along with sand to get it to a nice, crumbly consistency. The soil must be able to hold water, but not become water logged. You can also purchase a soil testing kit at your local home and garden center. The test results will give you an inclination of what your soil needs.
It will take you some time, depending on the size of your garden, to break up the soil to a depth of at least 18 inches, preferably more if possible. Before you start digging, it is very important to contact your local utility companies to make sure you do not run into any utility lines. Many of the utility companies offer a "call before digging" service that is easy and convenient. So "if you want to live, call before you dig".
Once you are done planting, you may need to add plant food or fertilizer, depending on the type of plants you have chosen. There are some plants that do not require fertilizers. Keep in mind plants in containers will need regular feeding because water tends to leech nutrients from the soil.
After all the planting is done, thoroughly water the soil, and then sit back and relax with a good book, preferably one about gardening, and watch your garden grow.
