Decisions to make: flowers or veggies?
In beds or in the ground?
However, there are several aspects of gardening that are important to understand before you create your firstplanting bed.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Learn About Hardiness Zones
The Spruce / Hilary Allison
Before buying plants, know your zone.
Learning aboutUSDA hardiness zoneshelps you choose plants that will thrive in your zone.
Companion plants that share specific sunlight andmoistureneeds thrive together.
Ekspansio / Getty Images
It’s helpful to refer tochartsthat take the guesswork out of the process.
Try planting succulents, flowering vines, ornamental grasses, fruits, and vegetables.
Work the compost into the soil with arototilleror manually with a garden pitchfork.
The Spruce / Hilary Allison
Then, rake the ground level to prepare it for planting.
You do not need fancy compost bins to make compost.
You simply need to layer organic materials and provide just the right amount of moisture and air.
The Spruce / Randi Rhoades
Tiny natural organisms will quickly turn organic waste into the most nutritious soil additive available.
Some gardeners like to keep a journal that maps the plants and layout of their garden each season.
Consider soil temperature; it’s critical when deciding the right time to plant.
Mark Turner / Getty Images
This knowledge will continue to come in handy long after you start a garden.
Weeds will pop up again and again despite your best efforts to prevent them.
Many sources of information are available to help you identify weeds.
wayra / Getty Images
Gardening books and university extension service websites often have photos of common weeds and offer tips on controlling them.
Furthermore, experienced gardeners quickly learn not everything that seems to be a weed is a weed.
Many plants, especially annual flowers, freely self-seed in the garden.
The Spruce / Steven Merkel
Because the fabric is porous, water drains straight through to the soil.
To prevent grass and other plants from invading your new bed,lay down some edging, as well.
A good place to use landscape fabric is in a shrub bed.
The Spruce / Almar Creative
The bed should stay fairly weed-free for years.
Densely planted garden beds aren’t practical for landscape fabric.
For example, if you are creating acottage garden, the plants are usually packed tightly together.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
Control Pests
All gardeners face pests at some point.
In some instances, it’s possible for you to take preventive measures.
For example, if you know your region has an issue with deer, selectdeer-resistant plants.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Or if you’ve seen rabbits hopping around in your yard, surround your garden beds with rabbit-proof fences.
Other plants can deter certain insects.
But in some cases, you will have to take proactive measures.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
Natural and synthetic chemical ways can combat pests, and each method has its pros and cons.
Attempting to entirely eradicate one pest sometimes can pop pop the door to devastation by another pest.
Your goal should be to maintain balance for a healthy garden.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
There are also more formal gardens where everything is symmetrical and perfectly placed.
If you’re starting a new garden, plant your vegetables or flowers in rows.
Put the shortest plants in the front.
Rebecca Smith/Getty Images
Sheet Mulching.Oregon State University Extension.
Landscape Design.University of Minnesota Extension Extension.
How to Use Landscape Fabric to Prevent Weeds.Missouri State University Website
The Spruce / Michele Lee
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Joanne Dale / Getty Images
