Planting a garden this spring need help

I have never planted a garden before but my fiance and I are looking for other things to do together other than just eating. After reading lots of weight loss friendly recipes I cant want to be able to move past these full liquids and start the process through the stages. Im planning on growing yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, and cherry tomatos also maybe a little herb garden. I have been trying to find information online about starting a garden but theres alot of info out there. I was just wondering if I should start with seeds or seedilings and also when do I start planting I live In Georgia near Atlanta. Any advice and info would be nice thanks!

If I'm looking at the planting zone map correctly, you'll be in zone 8.  I found this online from University of Georgia Ag & Science Dept.  http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/carroll/anr/documents/VegetableGardeningCalendar.pdf 

I do not have any region specific advice since I live in a much different climate, but you can plant from seeds and start them indoors and transplant them outside.

An herb garden is completely worth the effort. Try sage, basil, thyme, rosemary, mint (watch out, it spreads), verbena, lavender, stevia--oh the options are endless! Plant things you will eat or want to try.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I use seeds if they were green beans, lettuce, onions, radishes or zucchini.  For tomatoes I use plants, seeds are too hard.  It helps if you know your zone also.

I live up in Seattle so I used containers and later moved to a raised beds so I could get my soil warmer faster.  I also picked veggies that grow well in my climate of cooler weather.  For my tomatoes I need to stick with small ones and realize I won't get a huge crop due to my climate zone. 

Area's of the country are broken up into climate zone by the temp and last day of frost.  Most gardens due better facing south or west because you will get the afternoon sun. 

My herb garden I also had in a container and I used, chives, rosemary, mint, ( choc flavor).  If you use raised beds or containers you will want to get good soil and their will be less weeds also.  Check with your local university for info.  Find a good Gazpacho receipe also.  Good luck!

I learned how to pickle my green beans and my family loves them!

Amber,

Welcome to the wonderful world of gardening. Find the number for your local agricultural extension office and give them a call. They often have free beginner classes, can point you towards a mentor who can answer your questions and often have lots of free info! They are a free resource for us all to use.

Very interesting, how do I find out what zone I am in?  I lost my garden area because we put in a driveway and I never thought of a raised garden, I can put that anywhere!

Thanks everybody! Im super excited for spring to get here thanks for all your help. My fiance and I are also buy bikes this weekend so we can start riding together when it gets warm. All we normally do together is eat and we just want to find some other things to enjoy doing together so we think the garden might be fun :)

Awesome idea!  i love to garden!!  Seedlings cost more but are much more a sure thing, I am lazy and not always very organized so I usually spring for seedlings, you still save money over buying from the store.  Here is what I did my first year of gardeing:  In the early spring I dug up the ground where I wanted my garden, I did rows, maybe 3 feet wide.  Mine is actually right on my sidewalk so the whole town can see my successes and failures!  Then I put some compost down.  It is worth it to buy some if you don't have any because it really improves the soil.  Ask around at your local garden center or the extension office about when exactly to plant, I live way up north and we can't plant till Memorial Day but I bet you can plant way earlier.  After you plant your little seedlings, you can lay down newspaper and then cardboard over the newspaper all around the plants leaving a few inches between the paper and your plants.  We cover all that with grass clippings.  you can really lay on the paper, we use multiple layers.  This does several things, first it holds the water in better so that you don't have to water as much, it also keeps weeds way down, in fact, we don't weed at all.  The paper will decompose into the soil adding nutrients to the soil.  have fun!!!!!  And totaly do herbs!!  They are easy and beautiful and make food way better and are super easy to preserve, just cut them all down at the end of the season and tie them up and hang them upside down somewhere until they are dry and then crumple all the leaves off and put in jars.  We use our own herbs all winter and they are so tasty and it is fun to do.  Oh I could go on and on!!!!  Enjoy!!!!!!!!  Organic Gardening is a nice magazine, maybe your library gets it?

There's a wonderful site at http://www.gardenweb.com. There are state-specific forums, plant-specific forums, forums about growing from seed, and a couple of trading plants and seeds.

For a total newbie, I'd recommend buying seedlings, AFTER your optimum planting date for your area. Talk to the folks on the Gerogia forum---you can probably find some in your local area. Maybe find some local plant swaps as well. I go to one in southern TN twice a year, and it's wonderful!

Watch out for the squash...don't plant much or you will have more than you can possibly use. Have you considered growing greens like collards, kale or spinach? So good for us and easy to prepare! "Sweet 100" cherry tomatoes are awesome...produce lots and so good. You can check with extension to see how they do in your area.

I am from the north so i can't give you much advice like the others. I agree that you should call your extension service. You probably would be planting now or very soon.

Have fun...nothing like picking fresh from the garden.

cindy