Gardening basics are very simple to learn. There are as many ways to grow plants and seeds as there are people on the earth. There are thousands of books available on gardening. Find one you can understand and begin with small projects. The main considerations are light, air and water.

In a sunny spot in your yard decide where you want your raised bed. Using some form of a raised bed, makes your garden neater and easy to maintain. Use boards about 12 inches wide and 8 feet long. By making your beds 4 feet wide you can easily reach from one side to the other when tending to your crops.

Treated boards last many years in your raised beds. They do have toxic chemicals as wood preservatives that over time will leach into the soil. If you are growing vegetables these toxins will effect the edibility of your food. Non-treated boards do not last as long but are safe to use as garden bed frames. Build them into a rectangle shape. I prefer beds that are 4 ft wide and 8-10 ft long. Place on bottom three layers of cardboard to smother the grass. Fill the box with good dirt, grass clippings and leaves.

Raised bed gardening lessens the strain on your back and knees. The beds are higher than planting directly into the ground and plants closer to your center of gravity. This no-till method leaves you plenty of time to build more gardening beds. This plant and harvest method of gardening is becoming more and more popular. The Chinese have used this method to grow crops intensively for centuries. The nice thing about this method is how little time is required for weeding. Are you growing flowers or vegetables? Or both? They are both very compatible and easy to incorporate.

For beginners go to your local nursery and buy the vegetables you want to grow. Tomatoes will need a stake or cage and planted 3 feet apart from each other. Basil, radishes, garlic, onions, carrots, lettuce, zinnas, marigolds, squash, beans and peppers will grow around your tomatoes beautifully. Basil and lettuce are easy to grow from seeds and require little care outside a little water every three or so days. When temperatures soar water daily. Herbs require little care and average garden soil. Both requirements make them great additions to you beginning garden. Oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic, chives, and parsley are all easy to grow and will seduce you to include them in your garden every year.