How to Start a Garden 101

Gardening used to be a normal part of most people’s lives. Just a few generations ago, neighbors traded fresh produce across the fence (too many zucchini again!). Most people know local farmers. Many of us also have fond memories of our grandmother opening a jar of homemade pickles or jam.

If you’d like to start with a small patch of soil of your own, here’s how to get started with your garden.

Although times have changed (Walmart, anyone?), we still have the ability to grow some of our own food at least part of the year in almost all parts of the world. But statistically, many of us don’t (especially in the US).

Preserving local food sources is important, and working in a garden is good for the body and soul. This year, do something awesome for the planet and your family, and consider putting your gardening skills to the test! Instead of paying high prices for organic produce at the store, try organic gardening in your own backyard.

It’s time to get back to gardening!

During times of war, families were encouraged to plant “victory gardens” to help prevent food shortages. There were once over 20,000,000 such gardens in the United States. As the war subsided and people shifted from agriculture to urban settings, home gardening began to decline.

No matter where you live, you can still have your own garden! If this is your first time gardening, start small and work with what you have. A new garden can be as simple as a container garden on your back porch or an herb garden on your kitchen windowsill. If you have enough space for an in-ground garden bed, you can easily produce enough food to feed a family.

The good news is that gardening has definitely made a comeback in recent years!

How to start a garden as a beginner

The thought of starting your first garden can be overwhelming. There are so many different plants/seeds to buy and different gardening styles, not to mention how to keep them alive!

If getting fresh food with maximum nutrition is a priority, then even a small garden or indoor herb box is a step in the right direction. Garden food doesn’t have to be canned…many of it can be thrown in the freezer (or eaten fresh!).

My favorite benefit of gardening?kids connect and healthy eating See where their food comes from in a new and magical way. Here’s how to start creating your own backyard organic garden step by step!

1. Choose your space

I know a lot of people who are lucky enough to have a huge backyard with plenty of garden space. However, many of us live in cities or small suburbs with limited access to adequate sunlight. Figure out how much space you can allot for your garden and plan accordingly.

Check your yard or porch area several times a day to see how many hours of direct sunlight it gets. This will help you choose the best spot for your garden. Ideally, you’ll also want something close enough to the water source (such as a faucet or hose). Running with a watering can for an hour every day can be tiring!

Consider using raised beds to maximize space and production. Or, if you have several containers on your patio, make sure they get good quality soil, organic fertilizer, and enough sun and water (with good drainage).

2. Decide what to plant

What you choose to plant depends on the space you have. Then there are the options of annuals (like eggplants and tomatoes) and perennials (like echinacea and rosemary).

Especially in the first year, it can be difficult to know what to plant. When I started gardening we would often get too many tomatoes and wish we had more cucumbers. If you want to go all out, here’s how much to grow per person to feed your family for a year.

My strategy now is to grow the food that (a) we eat the most and (b) is the most expensive to buy organically. For us, that means lots of spinach, strawberries, winter squash, tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and peppers.

To help determine how much each plant will grow and when to plant, check out Growing Vegetables Network. They offer a free 30-day trial of a garden planning guide that lets you know how many varieties to plant of each.

Here’s what our spring garden looks like one year after using this garden plan:

organic gardening plan

They also provide you with a planting date chart for your climate:

Organic garden planting diagram

Tips for beginners: Don’t be overwhelmed by gardening books, diagrams, and plans on how to grow vegetables. The above is my attempt after several years of gardening experience. It is important to start gaining some practical experience. Choose some seed packets and follow the instructions on the back. Every year you get to try something new and build the garden of your dreams!

Seed options for beginners include:

  • Peas (kids love these!)
  • tomato
  • black pepper
  • Marigold (garden needs flower – this variety Even edible)
  • zucchini
  • radish

Want to keep it super simple? Order a beginner gardening kit that includes all the instructions and planning tools. The decision is made!

3. Start seeds indoors

Starting seeds indoors gives you a head start on your garden and a longer growing season. Growing plants like tomatoes and peppers indoors is almost a necessity in order to have a good growing season.

You can buy starter plants from your local garden center, but growing your own from seeds is a fun learning experience! It’s also cheaper and easier to find a variety of heirloom and organic plants.

You’ll also want to check the last frost date for your planting area to determine when to plant your seeds. See this article for more details on how to do this. For your fall garden, you’ll need to sow seeds directly outside or start them indoors during the summer.

Tips for beginners: As mentioned above, there are kits available for beginner gardeners to take the stress out of the gardening process. Try a simple seed starting kit for step-by-step instructions for each plant.

If you want to choose from a variety of seeds, I recommend true leaf seeds Non-GMO and organic selection. Heirloom seeds are varieties that stand the test of time and are preserved for generations.

4. Preparing the garden

Once you have reserved your garden space, you need to make sure you have good garden soil available. If not, then you can add amendments like organic matter or mix in a layer of compost.

Many county extension offices offer soil testing at low prices. Testing the soil will help you determine what, if anything, you need to add to the soil to ensure your plants grow well. These tests usually cost around $20 and provide valuable information that can help your garden year-round.

temporary loft bed

Over the past few years we have cultivated several truckloads of organic compost. While the upfront cost is a bit high, it pays off in the long run. Our soil is naturally a very acidic dense clay that does not drain well. Adding compost gave us beautiful black soil that produced an abundance of vegetables!

Tips for beginners: Want it simple? Try DIY flower pots! I’ve shared instructions for a simple cedar planter before, which is one of the easiest ways to grow a small backyard garden. At only three feet long, this planter will fit on almost any patio or porch. We grow kale, herbs and some mini greens at home.

5. Make the most of your space

You can easily maximize your growing space and often prevent pests with some organic gardening methods. To ensure you get the maximum yield from a small space, practices like companion planting, row planting, and square footage gardening can help.

companion planting

Companion planting allows you to grow multiple plants in the same area that help each other. A classic example is the Indian custom of growing corn, beans and pumpkins together. The corn provides structure to the beans and squash, and the beans add nitrogen back into the soil to feed the corn and squash.

Another example is growing basil under tomatoes. In addition to being delicious, the two help deter pests from each other and improve each other’s growing qualities. Tall plants can also provide some respite for shade-loving plants.

My favorite plants to grow together are:

  • Basil with tomatoes promotes growth and repels pests
  • Marigolds throughout garden deter pests and reduce nematodes
  • Dill with Cucumber
  • Add catnip, peppermint, and chamomile to brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) to keep pests at bay
  • Beets placed under cabbage to maximize space
  • Cucumbers paired with giant sunflowers – the sunflowers act as a trellis

For more information on companion planting, check out this article.

continuous planting

Planting multiple crops in succession will make your garden more productive and extend your harvest season. Right now, I have cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, chard, spinach and lettuce in my garden. Once harvested, the same beds will become space for melons or winter squash.

Depending on your region, you may even be able to grow certain plants in the fall and winter. After your summer garden harvest, try planting cool-climate-loving root vegetables, greens, and lettuce.

vertical gardening

Planting some plants instead of letting them spread can reduce the space they need. This can also increase yields by increasing airflow and reducing disease exposure. Trellis and cages are great for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and more. See this article to see how we have used vertical elements in our gardens over the years.

Tips for beginners: If the choices seem overwhelming, simply follow the seed package instructions for planting in rows. If growing tomatoes or cucumbers (which will definitely need some vertical support), ask your local gardening store to guide you in purchasing some store-bought trellises best suited for the job.

6. Fertilize (and weed) the garden

Once your garden is planted, it’s time to fertilize and weed! If you’ve already tested your soil and prepared it with compost, this step won’t be necessary at least for a while, but I do like using this homemade compost tea to encourage growth in the garden. It is a great alternative to expensive natural fertilizers and is easy to make when needed.

Organic gardening does require weeding because we don’t use chemical herbicides around our food (shudder). Thankfully, there are ways to simplify this process. Weeds cannot grow in the absence of light, so cover your garden walkways with newspaper, cardboard, or organic mulch to suffocate them before they start growing. Or use a natural paper weed barrier that will simply till the soil when the season ends. It really works!

Tips for beginners: A simple garden hoe will do the rest and will need to be used every few days between plants.My youngest has gardening tools That’s just their size and they love helping get the job done.

7. Be prepared for natural pest control

Do you think weeds are the biggest problem in your garden? No. No gardening post would be complete without mentioning the importance of pest control. It’s frustrating to spend hours working in the garden only to find plants destroyed by bugs, caterpillars, and even small (and large) animals.

In organic gardening, many common pesticides are off-limits, but there are still many great ways to prevent pests! Check out this article to learn about various natural pest control options.

Tips for beginners: Learn to “scout” the garden. Gardeners know that constant observation is the key to success. Grab a cup of coffee in the morning and go out to the garden to observe what’s going on. This way, you can spot the pest while it’s still doing little damage.

8. Enjoy your organic garden!

You’re bound to experience some failure during your first year (or even tenth!) of organic gardening, but that’s just part of it. Much of what you plant will grow, and there’s nothing better than picking fresh produce from your own backyard garden. It tastes so different from the stuff in the store (cherry tomatoes fresh off the vine and warm in the sun…ugh). What’s more, your kids will go crazy for their own garden produce.

hint: Use fresh zucchini and summer veggies in this hearty Italian Sausage Soup!

Knowing where your food comes from (and what’s not sprayed on it!) is ultimately very satisfying and worth the time and effort. Plus, you’ll spend some elusive time outdoors in the sun and dirt. Your body will thank you!

Are you gardening this year? What do you plant? Let me know below!

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