Mark the garden bed and make sure you’re happy with the layout before you start digging.
Use a garden hose or landscaping paint to mark the perimeter. Avoid creating tight angles that would make it hard to mow around the garden. Gentle curves look more natural than sharp corners. And make the size manageable. You can always add on later if you decide you want a bigger garden.
Don’t dig yet. Wait at least one full day so you can look at the site from various vantage points (like your deck or living room) and at different times of the day. It’s a lot easier to change the shape or location now than after you’ve started digging.
Once you decide on the layout, call 811 to have underground utilities marked (for free!). You’ll need to identify irrigation lines on your own — they usually run in straight lines between sprinkler heads.
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Test the soil
A soil test will tell you whether you need to add amendments such as lime, nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium to the soil.
Test kits are available at home and garden centers, but a university extension service or a state-certified soil-testing lab will provide the most accurate results. The service or lab will mail back a report telling you the nutrient content of the soil, what nutrients are needed, and the type and amount of fertilizer to add.
To find the nearest lab, enter “university extension service” and your state in any search engine. Contact the lab to get the necessary paperwork to submit with your sample. Test fees are usually $15 to $20, and results take one to two weeks.
Dig down six inches and scoop up a trowel full of soil. Take samples from five to 10 areas in the garden and mix them in a clean bucket. Wait for the soil to dry (this can take several days), then mail the soil sample, paperwork and a check to the extension service. Retest the soil every three to five years.
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Family Handyman
Edge the garden
Now that the prep work is done, you can dig and plant your garden in a weekend. The first step is edging the garden bed. Slice, then dig around the edge of the garden bed to make it easier to follow the shape as you remove or kill the grass. Use a square shovel or an edger to dig down about six inches, slicing through the grass roots around the garden bed.
After making the slices, dig around the garden edge at a slight angle to remove a three-inch swath of grass and create a small trench. This keeps the sod cutter or herbicide from going into your yard when you remove or kill grass in the garden.
