I haven't gardened since I was a girl...basics, please?

Welcome to DITE! I live in Nor CA in the Sacramento area. Do you have an area picked out? Does it have grass you need to smother? Can you give more details? Lasagna gardening is really effective esp. if you need to get rid of grass. I suggest if you have an area already prepped to add a layer of compost. 4-6" is best, but whatever you can do is great, will help with fertility. I usually buy a whole yard of compost for $20. If you have access to a truck that is the cheapest way to go. I do companion planting and love the book "The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food."

Forgot to say. You don't need to cut anything off your tomatoes. If you want bigger and fewer tomatoes cut suckers, if you want more, but smaller tomatoes don't cut anything off.

Thanks for the reply! I actually have the perfect are that has no grass...it has mulch right now, but DH is clearing it out tomorrow (yay for hubbies!!) it has really sandy soil, so you're probably right, compost will be good to blend in. Where can I buy compost? I'm asking for that book, by the way, for Christmas!

Any sand and gravel yard should have it. Look around and get the cheapest price. Should be lots in the phone book.

That would be awesome if you get it for Christmas. I love that book! It is my garden bible.

Hmmm... ok. So I grow some 'cover crop' there, and then cut it down and it basically acts like fertilizer? What's cover crop? :

One other thing...I have my choice of 3 different areas for the garden. One is VERY sunny, although I don't know if that's such a great spot, since I live in mountainous/desert area, and I'm wondering if it would be TOO sunny, you know? The other is more shady than sunny, but the sun that it does get is good mid-morning to mid afternoon sun. The third choice is about 75% of the day sunny. The first and third choices are basically bordering our yard, and the second choice would be built around an established peach tree. Recommendations? I'm really planning on basics, and maybe some lettuce.

Awesome! Thank you so much for the help...I was really lost as to where to start. Here goes nothin'!