How to start

If you're reading this, you probably already have a garden, or a vegetable patch, if not I'll start from the very beginning.

The best position for a garden faces east to west and where rain can run down underground towards it, not too windy and full sun or part shade. Once you've decided where it should go, do a dig test. If you find the earth undiggable find somewhere else, if it's diggable do a soil test. Find out what the pH and soil type is ie. clay, sand, silt, peat, chalk, loam and in what ratio and whether it contains any nasty things like lead or arsenic (often found in mining areas)

Double dug bed with rock dust

There are many ways to change your soil if you find it challenged. There are even ways to fix a contaminated soil biologically with hyperaccumulator plants. Your soil is an ecosystem in itself and will be the fundament of everything that grows in your garden, so it's good to get it right before you start.

Soil: Whatever you have, even perfect soil will not remain that way without adding organic material in the form of compost. Organic material has a balancing effect on all soil types. It lowers acid soils and and raises the Ph in alkaline soils, it feeds the organisms and keeps the ecosystem going.

Compost: Homemade or sourced from your local recycling company, either way you'll need this in your garden eventually, because no fertiliser organic or not is going to replace your soil if you don't.

Water: Make sure a source is near to your garden. Rain collectors are best but if it's a very dry season you might run out and need a hose somewhere close.

Tools: I manage with a spade, a fork, a shovel, a hoe and two wheelbarrows and use a grinding-shredder for the woody portion of my compost and for mulch. On the wish list is a hand sythe that would be useful in my garden. I have 2 foil tunnels and 2 insect nets to cover my crops with and would strongly recommend the insect nets to anyone growing vegetables. Nothing worse than having great looking carrots riddled with holes or cabbages like swiss cheese.

Feeds: My favorite is stinging nettle tea, beats anything else hands down from my experience, I also use rock dust on my compost and horn shavings on the beds for slow release.

Once you find a place to dig your garden, I recommend trying out the double dig method of cultivating if you are as lazy as me and don't want to dig it over every year.