Whether you're looking to add some green to your home or you want to grow some of your own food, a garden can be exactly what you need. In the guide below, you'll learn how to start a garden in 7 simple steps.

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The first step to starting a garden is to figure out what plants you'll grow. To do this, you should consider two things: what crops you like, what crops are suitable for your climate zone, and what season you're planting them.

As a rule of thumb, if you're growing fruits, vegetables, or herbs, make sure not to plant what you won't eat. Choose crops that you and your family enjoy.

This rule doesn't apply to flowers. Here, choose whatever you think looks or smells 

As for the climate zone, you can find out what yours is via the USDA website where you can enter your ZIP code to search their map of plant hardiness zones.

There are 13 climate zones across the United States. If you live outside the United States, you can refer to international maps of plant hardiness zones.

Once you've found out your climate zone, check the estimated dates of the first and last frosts. This gives you a good idea of how long your growing season is going to last.

1. Figure Out What to Grow

The majority of fruits and vegetables require at least five hours of exposure to direct sunlight every day for fruiting, while herbs, greens, and root vegetables thrive in partial shade. Keep such requirements in mind when deciding where to place your garden.

Also, consider how you'll be able to access the garden for watering, caring, and picking your crops. Don't choose an out of sight spot, otherwise, you may forget and neglect the garden.

Stay away from places with high wind and frost pockets. Remember to account for pet damage, wildlife, and kids' play areas.

2. Choose a Proper Location for the Garden

Once you've chosen a location for your garden, your next move should be testing the soil of that area. Your local USDA service office can get the job done for a small charge.

Information you'll learn from a soil test includes the ratios of sand, clay, silt, and other organic materials existing in your garden's soil. The test will also indicate the pH level of the soil as well as any nutrient deficiency.

Additionally, you'll get instructions on how to correct any present imbalance, and if you ask for a toxicity test, you'll know if your soil contains toxic substances such as arsenic and lead.

If the concentration of toxins in your soil is above safe levels, don't grow edible crops on it. Alternatively, plant your food in raised beds made out of wood and featuring a bottom barrier that keeps the roots from reaching the soil below.

3. Test the Soil

After you decide on a location for your garden and make sure the soil is nice and ready for planting, you should build the garden beds. There are multiple types and sizes of garden beds that you can pick from, but the most common ones are rectangular or square raised beds.

While raised beds look attractive and can be easier to work with, they tend to quickly dry out. This can be problematic in very dry areas, which is why sunken beds are preferred in such places as they're designed to gather moisture.

When building garden beds, make them about three to four feet wide. They should be narrow enough to let you access the center from both sides.

Length-wise, garden beds should extend no more than 10 feet to avoid accidents where people step on them and compress the surface. The best configuration for plants in garden beds is either rows or grids because you'll increase the growing area and reduce walkways.

4. Build the Garden Beds

Your next task is to decide whether to grow from seeds or seedlings. Starting with seeds is cheaper, but they take a lot longer to grow and can encounter various issues during the process.

For example, some seeds are stubborn sprouts while others can't overcome harsh conditions. On the other hand, seedlings are already sprouted seeds that just require transplantation from pots to the garden bed.

5. Decide between Seeds and Seedlings

If you're planting seeds, be sure to sow them deep enough as indicated on their packets. Then, tamp soil over them firmly using your palms and water whenever the soil's surface dries out.

If you're planting seedlings, carefully flip the pot over while supporting the top of the soil and the stem with your hand. Then, lightly squeeze and shimmy the sides of the pot to get the seedling out. 

Next, hold the soil mass and massage it in your hands and massage it gently until the roots are detangled. The plant may be root bound, in which case the massaging should be more vigorous.

Finally, make a hole in the soil to fit the root mass (but not bigger), insert the roots in it, and cover them with soil. Be careful not to cover any part of the stem by mistake.

6. Carefully Plant the Seeds or Seedlings

Throughout the growing season, most plants need around one inch of water every week. So, if rainfall hasn't occurred, you should provide enough water for your crops.

An easy way to check whether or not your plants require watering is to stick a finger into the soil about two inches deep. If you feel it's dry, then your plants are probably thirsty.

As for adding mulch, this helps decrease the incidence of weeds while keeping the soil moist and cool. Mulch also delivers a bunch of nutrients for the plants to improve their quality and yield.

Be sure to choose the right type of mulch for your plants. For example, fruit trees prefer wood chips in mulch while vegetables prefer mulch containing leaves or straw.

7. Water Adequately and Add Mulch

There you have it, a simple guide on how to start a garden. Remember, once you successfully set up a garden, maintaining it becomes a must if you want it to thrive.

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