1) first think of what you want to plant and why are you planting. Are you looking for an edible food source or looking to attract insects or wildlife?
2) where do you plan to put the garden. depending on what you are planting you will need to look at how much sun it needs, water source, accessibility. How much space will you need? will you need to sacrifice a sitting area for your garden?
3) What is your budget? Seeds are considerably cheaper than buying the plants pregrown. Look at the packet of seeds and determine if its appropriate for your climate zone.
4) Prep the soil before spring: February in NorCal. You will want to till the soil, bring in more soil if needed, make sure its clean of all trash, large rocks and possible glass. This will make it easier for you and allow your garden to yield more product per sq.ft. Also, spray the ground with vinegar for an organic solution to getting rid of pests. If you aren't concerned about organic, spray with Roundup.
5) Then start to plant. It requires daily care and attention. Pulling weeds, checking the soil, making sure it is plenty moist. The soil should be moist all the time, but not puddly.
6) In most plants you will see a progress within ten days. Check instructions on when to pull your plants and how to keep some growing all year. Enjoy.
Here's an old photo of Nessie in Matt's garden. She was only 14 months :( Miss my baby
