Hello Wendy. Welcome aboard.

Even when roadside ditches are the only garden available to me, gardening is the most important tool in my therapy tool box. Plants help me understand and nurture the natural connections of Life far better than psychiatry ever will.

Hope you find lots of good tips here and feel free to share your beginner's insights. The longer I commune with my weeds, the more I find myself learning my most important tidbits from the beginner's perspective.

Welcome Wendy123 :)
I had no clue on what to do to become a gardener about 12 years ago.
It seemed so confusing and felt like I needed some kinda degree....lol.
However, with a little help from pinterest and a few garden magazines, I just delved in and found it to be easier than I thought.
I tried new plants each year for my rock and flower garden until I found flowers I liked and that liked me back :P
I found in my veggie garden that gree/red/and yellow peppers don't like me very much. However, tomatoes and cucumbers like everyone and are fairly easy to grow.
I tried watermellon a few years ago and got about 7 mellons and they were delicious. Last year they were all duds (a fungus got them).
I have a small veggie garden since it is just me and the man that works for me.
When it comes to indoor plants......well......I'm an indoor serial plant killer.
I did take on air plants and they are fairly easy as they only need a spritz of water from a water bottle about once or twice a week......they live off air and no dirt or plant food is necessary. My other indoor "succulents" are all fake!
This is to keep me from going to jail for killing innocent plants :(

I guess the best way to get your feet wet in gardening is to just do it!
Trial and error.
This is my first year for composting. Not sure if I'm doing it right.....but hey......"nothing ventured nothing gained"....if anything.....the flys are happy :)

Try pinterest. Type in garden ideas and have at it!

Hi Wendy I'm a novice too. Time and finances are tight so I've planted annuals (Petunias and geraniums) in pots for the summer. They're so colourful and pretty and really cheer the place up. Don't require much maintenance either.

Welcome Wendy.

And yes, gardening is relaxing and good for you physically and mentally.

Hey ya ! We all start somewhere with it. Its a good way to relax.

Really interesting to read your replies. Thanks! I'm excited about this group. I forgot to mention I did buy a Phlox plant at the hardware store a couple of weeks ago and it's outside and looks pretty with it's little purple flowers. it's still in the pot, though. need to plant that this weekend. also, I wanted to share something kind of funny and maybe fun that I recently did. my yard is kind of a mess and so I try to hand weed the dandelions and stuff out of it. One thing I did learn recently is that it's easier to pull weeds when the ground is wet so I was watering the lawn a couple of weeks ago and it was a really hot evening after work, like in the 90's and I was anxious to get to weeding so I walked in under the sprinkler while it was going and started to weed and it felt so great and was so fun... kind of like running through the sprinkler when you are a kid but for adults. : ) I got a little cold after awhile but was grinning the whole time. Just thought I'd share that. My main challenge right now is just keeping the front yard looking decent.
Looking forward to chatting with you all about gardening!

Weeding when its rainy is always easier then when its dry.

yea, it would work with rain too I guess. been so terribly dry here for so long. can't wait for autumn.

"but was grinning the whole time." You found the reason why people Garden!
They also make a fun little tool called a weed popper (a couple dollars) that's fun to pop weeds out in the rain or under the sprinkler.

Wendy, "You walked in under the sprinkler." That sounds like it was a lot of fun. You're a good sport besides. Enjoy your yard.

Easier for me to pull weeds when wet! Raining today so will get out to rid them tomorrow morning.

I guess it depends on the soil. What kind does everyone have?

my soil is really sandy and dry.

My black and dry. Kinda weird soil here near Chi Town.
I've never really tested my dirt....just keep adding compost.
My yard use to be the Mushroom farm.....and the local blacksmith back in the early 1900's.
I still find wild mushrooms growing ramdomly around here! (not the hallucinating kind...lol).

Good fix for sandy soil and weeds is just dump thick mulch on them. Kills weeds and improves the soil through worm and microbe activity. Good luck, you'll love it.

that is a great tip about putting down mulch. thank you!