How to start a garden with no experience

My partner and I bought a property just shy of a quarter acre a few years ago. It was in a completely neglected state as it had been slated for demolition to make way for new houses. But I had other ideas. I knew it could be brought back to life, but what I didn’t know is how much satisfaction, joy and confidence that process would bring me.  

If you’re standing at the edge of your first garden (like I am here), unsure where to begin, this guide is for you.

1. Start small to reduce overwhelm

When I looked around, there were big problems left and right – old broken pipes, collapsing clay inclines, invasive weeds, lack of privacy and poor drainage.

I started small, tackling first the things I could control with relative ease. As the old saying goes, you eat an elephant one bite at a time – so that’s what I did. I focused on building a small vegetable patch in the spot closest to the house so I could see it. I removed the grass, old dog toys and car parts using a sharp spade, then added enough compost to the remaining clay. After letting it rest, I planted some basic herbs, strawberries and a few leafy greens. It may have only been a few square metres resolved, but it gave me a starting point to build my skills.

The beauty of starting small is that you can focus on care and learning over scale—checking your plants daily, noticing how they change and celebrating the first sprout or bloom.

2. Choose the right plants for your area

Plant choice and climate can be enough to stifle process when you’re just starting out. I have made many planting mistakes over the years, like putting a frangipani in a dark wet corner and slowly watching it rot – but, they’ve all led to me better understanding what goes where.

You need to know what growing zone you’re in. A quick Google search or asking at your local nursery is the best place to start.

Then kick off with beginner friendly or very hardy plants that are more forgiving to errors. These are some options to get you going.

Herbs like basil, parsley, thyme, and mint

Leafy greens like spinach, rocket, and silverbeet

Root veg like radishes or carrots (in deeper pots or beds)

Cherry tomatoes, which grow fast and fruit early if you have a sunny spot

Australian natives are often overlooked by new gardeners—but they’re some of the easiest, most resilient and beautiful plants you can grow. Because they’ve evolved to thrive in local conditions, they generally need less water, less fertiliser and far less fuss.

Here are a few beginner-friendly native options:

• Correas – Compact shrubs with beautiful bell-shaped flowers that attract birds
• Strawflowers (Xerochrysum bracteatum) – Long-blooming and vibrant, perfect for sunny spots
• Lomandra or Dianella (native grasses) – Hardy, drought-tolerant, and great for structure
• Kangaroo paw – Striking flowers and a favourite with pollinators
• Grevilleas (dwarf varieties) – Fast-growing and bird-attracting with minimal care

You can mix these with herbs or veg for a beautiful, balanced garden that looks great and supports local wildlife.

3. Get a basic toolkit and opt for quality

Through trial and error, I’ve worked out exactly what I need to cover the basics. At first, I wasn’t great at looking after my tools; I left them lying around, they’d get buried in the green waste or temporarily lost in a patch somewhere, so I’ve always opted for tools that can withstand my neglect. For small jobs and when starting out, this is what I’d recommend.

• Hori Hori/Garden knife – look no further than this tool; it literally does everything including open a drink. It digs, scoops, measures, cuts, slices and cultivates making it an absolute must have.
• Hand trowel or scoop – For digging, planting, and scooping soil. Look for one with a sturdy handle and a sharp edge for cutting into soil easily.
• Hand fork or cultivator – Helps break up soil, remove weeds and mix in compost.
• Secateurs or garden snips – For trimming dead leaves, harvesting herbs and flowers and maintaining indoor plants. 
• Gardening gloves with clip– To protect your hands and help you feel more comfortable working with soil, plus a clip keeps them together and close by

When you choose well-designed, durable tools, you’ll notice the difference every time you use them. Look for materials like timber handles, stainless steel, or recycled composites—they’ll not only last longer but often look better too, especially if you enjoy displaying your tools when not in use.

4. Focus on soil and sunlight

Soil and sunlight – if you’re going to put your initial time and energy anywhere, it should be in these two things.

Where I live in Melbourne, Australia, the ground is solid clay. The only way to make it a successful growing medium was by adding organic matter, or compost, and a lot of it. Organic matter is anything that’s going to break down and add life and structure – leaves, mulch, kitchen scraps and manure are some examples.  The benefits are many: food for your plants, soil that will better hold water and oxygen and optimal drainage.

If you’re growing in pots or raised beds, invest in a good-quality organic potting mix - don't be tempted by the cheap options at your hardware store. It might cost a little more up front, but it makes a huge difference in how well your plants grow—and how much effort they need from you.

Sunlight matters more than you might think

Different plants need different amounts of sunlight, but a general rule is:

• Full sun = at least 6 hours of direct sun per day
• Part shade = 3–6 hours of morning or filtered light
• Full shade = less than 3 hours (usually best for ferns or shade-loving natives)

Before planting anything, spend a day or two observing how much light your space gets—and when. Balconies, courtyards, or even windowsills can work beautifully if you match the plant to the light.

5. Enjoy your garden

You might be wondering, how did that quarter acre of nothingness turn out? Here’s a before and after.

In the time I’ve been lucky enough to have this patch of earth, I’ve transformed it from a dead area into one of my greatest accomplishments. It’s a space for me and my family, my dogs and chickens and native wildlife. 

I work in it every day, sometime for hours, sometimes just a few minutes. I have made too many mistakes to count, but I’ve kept at it and the results speak for themselves. A garden is never really done, which is kind of the greatest part about it, so you can continue to change it, improve it and take risks.

You will make lots of mistakes too, but don’t give up – whatever you put it in it will give you back tenfold. I can promise you that based on personal experience.

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