Beginner Gardening: Starting from scratch, please help! First Post!, 1 by tylert220

tylert220 wrote:
Hi everyone, this is my first post and I would first like to say that this website is great! Anyways, I am only 19 and I have gotten sick of the bland look in front of my house; the landscaping is just terrible. There are so many things that need fixed. I would like a new retaining wall, but that's not going to happen yet, I have a low budget. So, for now, what I want to do it take the existing "flower bed" and extend it in front of the house, as you can see in the pictures. There isn't much grass there, so I want to dig it out and mulch it and plant flowers and shrubs. The problem is that I've never done this before, so I don't know where to start. I don't want to make any stupid mistakes. I am a quick learner and a hard worker, so with the right instructions, I know that I can make my front year look beautiful.

This is what I need your help for:

- What to do to start?
- What materials do I absolutely need?
- What kind of plants should I plant? Should I plant seed or just go buy plants at the store? (I live in zone 7a).
- Any other vital advice that you would give to a complete novice, maybe somethings that you wish someone would have told you when you started.

Thank you so much for your help in advance!!!