Shopping List:

• Organic Top Soil: You can buy this in bulk or in bags from a garden supply store. You can never have too much of this as soil is naturally "consumed" as a plant grows. When i went, i bought lots of damaged bags at half price. Even when i don't need soil i tend to stock pile this item.
  
• Flower & Vegetable Soil : This is also necessary to mix in with the top soil. It must look dark black and rich. The worse it smells the better. If not buy some manure to mix into it. Rich soil is VERY essential. It is well worth the investment.

• Organic Pesticide / insecticide: Many of the retailers on the side of this page carry this product and other products on this list.
• Organic Fertilizer / Food: My garden needs to be fed once every couple of weeks. My daughter spreads a small amount around the edge of each plant.
  
• Weed Prevention Mat: Usually comes in a black roll up to 6ft wide. (Sometimes more)

• Hand Shovel, Fork & Gloves. If you have kids, they appreciate tools in their size too!
  
• Raised bed materials: Most people do not need to create a raised bed. They are great if you want to prevent soil erosion. This is when soil is washed away by rain. I created one and i will be posting tips on how that went later.
• Container Gardening:
  
• Deep and wide Pots with drainage holes at the bottom. Plants vary with how much soil they need. So you'll need a variety, depending on what you want to grow. Salad greens, radishes, green onions, and herbs only need about five inches of soil to thrive. Tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers need 12-16 inches.
  
• Potting Soil. Be aware that this is different from top soil. Potting soil drains much better than top soil. A good tip if you need to give better drainage to your garden, is to mix in potting soil.
• Container gardens tend to dry out faster than the earth-bound variety. So be sure to water daily or even twice a day when it's really hot.

Is This Worth the Hassle?
At this point i got a little weary after i saw what it would take but here are some numbers for you to gloat about: You can harvest up to half a pound of vegetables for every square foot you plant on.
The average return on a home garden patch is $530 with a $70 average investment!

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