I’m always trying to come up with new meal-planning schemes, but honestly, my favorite one is a real classic. Here it is: go out to your garden, see what looks most delicious and ripe, pick it, take it to the kitchen, cook, and voila—easy, inexpensive, nutritious food you can trust.

That said, it’s not always easy for a new gardener to figure out where to start, and even then—take it from me—we’re always learning. That’s why I’m so pleased to share some solid starting points from Stan Cope, gardener and president of Bonnie Plants.

Survey your soil: Your first step is to decide where you’ll put your vegetable and herb garden. Good soil is key. The best soil is loam, a soft, dark, crumbly dirt. Loamy soil holds water, allows for drainage and is easy to dig. If you encounter clay or sandy soil, add peat moss and bone meal so that these soils can also be productive gardening bases.

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