These tips and gardening tools will get the beginner gardener started on creating a beautiful, flourishing backyard vegetable garden!

This post may contain affiliate links.  Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.

So you want to grow a backyard garden, huh?  There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing your garden start to flourish and ultimately provide you with fresh fruits, vegetables, and beautiful flowers!  Once the garden bug hits you, you’ll find yourself counting down to spring every year!  We dug our raised garden seven years ago and every year since then it’s brought us fresh, homegrown vegetables.

But it’s not like we just bought some plants and seeds, popped them in the ground, and got lucky!  My husband had some garden knowledge thanks to his dad and grandmother.  Me?  I learned along the way.  Here’s a few things to keep in mind when you start your new backyard garden:

Choose a sunny spot

Here’s the thing – your garden is going to need plenty of sunshine.  But you don’t want it to get too much sun.  So make sure you dig it in a spot that will get about six hours of sunlight during the day. 

Pick the right plants

Now that you’ve got your garden dug, it’s time to start planting.  Maybe you want to start plants from seed, or maybe you want to buy starter plants.  Whatever the case, you want to make sure that they’ll be happy in the location you plant them. 

So make sure you read those information tags!  They’re there for a reason and will let you know how much light and water your new plant babies will need!  And while you’re at it, you might want to check out which zone you’re in to make sure your plants thrive! 

Consider composting

Want to give your soil a healthy boost?  Consider getting a compost bin or compost tumbler.  I have a small counter bin that I throw fruit and veggie scraps, egg shells, and coffee grounds into.  At the end of the week, I dump it straight into the garden to be turned over.  As the scraps break down, it fertilizes the soil.

Keep a record of your garden

This is something I only started last year, but it’s been extremely helpful!  Keep a notebook or garden journal to write down information about your plants (like if they’re annuals or perennials), track their progress, or write down other important information about your garden.

Rotate your plants

One of the key things I’ve learned from my favorite gardener (my husband) is that you shouldn’t plant the same plants in the same spot each year.  Instead, rotate them to keep the soil nutrient rich.

Water in the A.M.

Before the sun gets too hot, give your garden a good soaking!  Watering in the afternoon sun can cause plants to become too hot and burn up.

Make sure you have the right tools

Your garden is going to require maintenance as your plants grow.  Make sure you have the right tools for digging, weeding, and cleaning up!  If you don’t know where to start, check out my list below for everything you’ll need to get started on your backyard garden! 

The Tools Every Beginner Gardener Needs

1. Bamboo Gardening Gloves
2. Easy Pour Watering Can
3. Seed Starter Peat Pots
4. Moisture Control Potting Soil
5. Digging Shovel
6. Pruning Shears
7. Hand Shovel
8. Stainless Steel Straight Weeder
9. Hoe and Cultivator Hand Tiller
10. Watering Wand
11. Expandable Garden Hose
12. Gardening Organizer Tote
13. Folding Garden Kneeler
14. Leaf Grabbers
15. Reusable Yard Waste Bag

PIN FOR LATER

If you like this post, you might enjoy these as well:

• How to Create a Butterfly Garden
• How to Grow a Black Flower Garden
• DIY Outdoor Planters – 20 Creative Projects to Add to Your Garden