Starting an outdoor garden depends greatly on the area or weather Zone in which you live. This is why the purchase of a gardener's encyclopedia or talking with a local nursery will be a great help. Knowing your local weather patterns and soil makeup is also important.

You do not have to wait for spring to begin the project. Start by learning more about the types of plants that will thrive in your area. Knowing which plants responds to what weather conditions will go along way in helping you to make the most of the time you have for gardening.

If you have a short spring combined with a summer that comes early and is extremely hot choose fruits and vegetables that are a cool weather crop. This is the perfect time to plant your salad greens like spinach, kale or others that can be harvested by the leaf.

If you live in an area that has the complete opposite weather pattern, i.e. long cool summers, you can plant fruits and vegetables that take time to mature. You can begin before the planting seasons by sprouting the plants indoors. This way they are ready to plant as soon as the last frost has disappeared. Here are the steps to take to prepare the grounds of your garden.

1.) Pick a suitable site for the garden you may want a site that has several light combinations. That is to say you want some of the garden to be in direct sunlight and other areas indirect sunlight. Generally the garden is placed close to the kitchen for easy access. Some vegetables need the direct sunlight whole there are a few that will flourish in indirect sunlight.

2.) Prepare the soil. Till and cultivate the soil. Mixing in organic fertilizers and removing grasses will keep the soil healthy and plant ready. Saturate the area with water a few weeks before planting this will ensure a good ground water supply for the baby plants. If you are not a big enthusiast of tilling then you can consider making a no dig plant bed. Don't forget to add hand-crafted garden planters and beautiful solar fountains to your garden for creating a total makeover of your garden's appearance.

3.) Make paths between the rows by lying down cardboard or carpeting to act as a walkway. The path should be about three feet wide or large enough so you can walk comfortably between the rows without trampling them.

4.) Make your trellis and any other frames you are going to need. Frames make sorting out what goes where easier. For fruits or vegetables that grow on vines, such as peas a trellis is a good idea.

5.) Now it is time to sort out the order in which the plants will be placed in the garden. There is really no set pattern but it is always a good idea to make certain that taller plants will not block the sunlight from shorter growers.

If you follow these few short tips your garden will be ready to go in no time at all and soon you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor at the dinner table.