What is the first step in planting a garden?

To get you started, here are 10 steps recommended by the National Gardening Association. Mulching is the most effective way to prevent weeds. Add a 2- to 4-inch-thick layer of organic mulch to your garden to prevent weeds from taking over your crops. If weeds appear in the garden, grab them on the underside of the stems and uproot them abruptly, making sure to remove all of the root.

Start small, for example, learning the best month to start planting in your area, and then you can move on to imagining your garden and exactly what you want to grow. If you want to have the freshest possible produce, consider planting your own vegetable garden. After all, you can't be closer to the kitchen table than to your own backyard. Once you've decided where to plant your garden, mark the corner area with stones, flags, or stakes to show the boundaries.

Gardening in raised beds is the opposite of underground gardening because it involves growing plants in soil that is above ground level, either in containers or frames made of wood or even in bales of hay, for example. Planting too early in the season, when the ground is cold, can cause the plant to get sick all season long or the seeds to fail to germinate. Basically, this means that you have to consider the general shape or outline of the plants when placing them in your garden bed. Usually, seeds and plants are placed in the ground in early spring, as soon as the soil is no longer frozen, there is no longer a risk of frost, and the soil has warmed up and is suitable for working.

However, this is a general rule, as some vegetables, flowers, and other plants require planting seasons, such as mid-spring, early summer, late summer, or fall (usually for spring flowers and crops), depending on the area. When selecting plants for your garden, you must do your homework to learn about the specific requirements of a plant and ensure that you choose the right plants for the right location. Debra LaGattuta is a master gardener with more than 30 years of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening and raised bed gardening. Another example in which gardening fabrics are not practical is an orchard planted with root vegetables such as beets or carrots.

If there's a chance you don't remember the names of what you planted, consider labeling the plants by writing their names on a small wooden stake and placing it next to the plant. This is largely a matter of personal preference, but there are some standard aesthetic design tips to consider when deciding where to place your plants. Landscape fabric is a synthetic fabric that is installed on top of a planting area to prevent weeds from sprouting. In general, garden beds should be organized so that low plants are in the foreground or used as a border, medium-sized plants occupy the central section and tall plants in the back side.