While your compost is cooking, get the weeds out. Now, please don’t just go rip them out from the top, leaving the roots. To properly remove weeds, you need to dig the root out, too. A digging fork is a great tool for this. Stick in the ground all around and wiggle to loosen the soil. For some plants like dandelions, dock, and some kinds of clover, you may need to dig quite deep. But the more of the root you get out, the better your efforts will work. Also, get the weeds out before they go to seed! Never put your weeds on your compost pile. It is possible to do this, if the compost is hot enough and the seeds aren’t out yet, but it’s “dangerous” for your garden. So it’s not recommended, especially for beginners.

Yes, raised beds are fantastic, too.

For the rabbits, fencing would be good, or the natural plants listed above. For deer and rabbits, people in my home state (Arkansas) put human hair clippings and/or chicken or deer blood in little bags around their gardens. The smell is supposed to keep them away. A dog can also keep wildlife away. Let them run around and bark in the evenings, and take them for walks around your garden. Cats and some dogs will eat bunnies (if you don’t mind).

As for knowing what plants will work good for your location, pH, soil, etc. Check out this article:

http://thenewsbase.com/2009/06/cool-gadget-on-my-wishlist-easy-bloom-plant-sensor/

For about $40, you can know exactly what will grow well.

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Figure out the sun pattern – and what kind of plants will do best. There is always a plant that will enjoy a spot.

Rabbits? You can find lists online that will tell you what deters them such as Lavender, Yarrow, Columbine, Thyme, Hyssop, Bee Balm, Sage, Mints….this list grows easily These plants I have luck with and I am in the middle of no mans land Plenty of rabbits & deer yet they don’t seem interested in these plants. These also have some great uses so we are all happy!

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I started early in the year, (Feb) depending on where you live, and work up the spot where you want to plant. Add topsoil, peat moss if you have lots of clay, and some kind of nutrients like a Miracle Grow product.

Then I let the soil rest till spring planting times depending on what you want to grow.

For your critters, you may have to place netting or fence your garden to keep them out, otherwise, tilling the soil, pull up the weeds, add topsoil, mix, plant, water, and enjoy.

There are lots of help with gardening tips from your local garden centers, who can show you the things to do.

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Then, put up a rabbit-proof fence that can't be chewed through and is buried 1-2 feet into the earth. Then you can start thinking about actually planting something.

Your other option is to just build some raised beds (frame with natural timber, brick, stone, or concrete) on top of that soil and fill them with some decent fill and compost. But you'll still need the rabbit fence if they're an issue for you.

If you rototill and plant in the same soil, the weed seeds will still be there and might grow through your garden, whereas if you plunk some raised beds on top, you'll mostly smother whatever is already growing there.

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You should then test the PH of the soil, The soil's pH is best at between 6 to 6.9 for vegetables and about 5.5 to 6.9 for flowers. You can get a pH testing kit from your local hardware store. You can take the soil sample to your state Cooperative Extension and they will be able to test the soil for pH, nutrients, and even toxic chemicals. There is a fee to test your soil.

To add nutrients. manure from cattle is the best way to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Another way to add nutrients to the soil is use garden soil from a hardware store or a chain store such as Wal-Mart. Till the manure or garden soil into the soil. Compost is good, you can make it by building a compost bin. you can put any plant matter into it such as grass clippings, kitchen waste (no meat, eggs)

For the rabbits, it is best to buy a fence that will keep rabbits out. Your local hardware store should have a garden fence to keep rabbits out of the garden.

With the tips, you can turn bad garden dirt into the good, rich garden soil that your plants will thrive.

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