If you're ready to try your hand at landscaping or growing a vegetable garden, you need to ensure you have all the equipment necessary and know the soil in which you'll be planting. It's usually not enough to simply plant some seeds in the ground and then water them every week, and expect a lush and green garden. Note a few essential tips every first-time gardener will want to remember to ensure they have the most success.

Study the sun exposure

Every plant, whether that's flowers, vegetables, or even small landscape trees, will thrive in different types of sun exposure. When planning your garden, you need to understand the sun exposure in that part of your property. Does it get lots of hours of direct sunlight, or is it mostly shaded? Does it get a few healthy hours of sun and then shade? It can be good to make up a day calendar and note where the sun is located over that area of your property each hour; this will tell you how many hours of direct sun it gets versus how many hours of shade. You can then plan the flowers or vegetables you will plant according to the varieties that thrive in that much sunlight. 

Check the soil

The best soil for gardening is dark and moist; you can have your soil tested to note if it's healthy, but you can also simply take a scoop in your hand, squeeze it, and then check its overall composition. If it feels very dry and just slides out of your hand like sand, you'll need an irrigation system to add hydration. This can be as simple as underground PVC pipes with holes drilled into the sides or an irrigation hose, which is like a garden hose with holes on all sides. If the soil seems very wet and your hand feels wet, you may need to reduce the number of times you water your garden so it's not too moist for planting. 

Till the soil

Even if the soil is very healthy, it's good to till or turn it. This creates a soft soil bed for planting your seeds; they are more likely to get moisture and nourishment from the soil underneath them when it's soft and tilled. Their roots also may have a hard time breaking through the very top layer of soil if you don't turn it. Even if you use a handheld gardening rake rather than rent a tiller, you can ensure the success of your garden if you create a soft top layer for your new seedlings or plantings.

For more info about what you need to care of your garden, contact a company like Freds Lagoon Hardware.