Welcome newbie gardener.

It would help to know which part of the country your in as the answer can vary based on climate. I’d urge to go organic- no chemicals or pesticides that could harm you, your pets or the environment.

The foundation of a good garden (whether vegetable or a simple flowerbed) starts w/the soil Since it seems you have bad soil, you’ll probably have to go w/a raised bed method. Since you’re a beginner, I’d look into Square Foot Gardening (Google & YouTube).

You can start building up the soil in your backyard, but that takes time. Try to sow winter grass to start activating the soil.

At least w/raised beds, you start w/sound soil.

For your bed, use stone or bricks- avoid wood (which will eventually rot) or synthetic materials (like plastic, vinyl). Fertile Garden Supply has a good selection of organic amendments to get the mircobial activity in the soil going.

You can also brew your own compost tea (more info @ DirtDoctor.com).

Best bet is to head to a local nursery (hopefully a good natural one), find what you like and strike up a conversation w/the person t Avoid the box stores and stick w/your local nursery.

Hope this helps. ~Slacker

in most cases, when a plant dies, the cause is water. Either the plant is getting too much or not enough.usually when its not enough the edges of the leaves will turn brown, and when there is too much the leaves will start to turn yellow. Before planting use a good compost to ensure good drainage.

well losen your soil every week,use a good compost and water them once in a day either in the morning between 6to7 or in the evenings in the same time as it can ensure minimum water loss due to evaporation
also add eco-friendly pesticides which make sure that ur plants are not attacked by insects
good luck!!

I’m all for gardening as naturally as possible, so choose plants that will thrive where you are – you’ve got a large selection to be able to choose from in Vegas.

Firstly it’s wise to plan your garden, so that any work you and planting that you do doesn’t have to be redone later. Potentially start cultivating a small part, so that you don’t get to clear an area, and then find the weeds moving back in, if it’s not planted for some time.

In Vegas I’d choose plants that are known for their tolerance of drought, as this will save you the cost of loosing other plants from lack of water, or the high cost of lots of watering – but this is your choice.

You could even incorporate some of the rocks, if they’re larger, into part of your garden design.

To clear your yard you’ll get best results by removing all of the weed plant roots and any debris.

It will pay dividends if you dig the soil well, as well as incorporating lots of compost or well rotted animal manure. This helps retain water, as well as provides nutrients for your plants. Places like Home Depot sell some of this, you won’t need to find a nearby farm!

So, you’ve planned what you want, begun to clear it of weeds etc, in those areas that you’re going to prepare and plant first.

Then you can go about planting the plants that fit your design. Depending on the size of your plot, it’s often good not to be able to see everything in one go, by creating little looks and crannies, with hidden interest. Curved borders help this, as well as break up the squareness of most homes and garden shapes.

Your plants could include Cacti, many palms and Yuccas, Phormiums, Agaves, Draceona drago – the Dragon tree, Proteas and Nerium oleander or Oleander as it’s commonly known.

I’d probably start by looking around gardens nearby and see what effects work for you, as well as some of the plants that you like.

It’s probably going to be good to start simply, with some free space left (though weeds may move in!), so that you can modify things as you go along.

It could be worth having some larger plants that will create some shade, as this would ultimately be a cooler place to enjoy sitting under.

Mulch your plants, by adding some compost to the top of the soil around your newly planted plants, as this will help retain water for them.

Hope these quick ideas help. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like ideas or more information upon.

Good luck! Rob

soil is a basic ‘first step’… Give your plants the best soil you can ….
second is learning everything you can about the plants you’ve chosen.. What they need as far as light, water, temperature, food….

And seeing that they get it….
finally… Have fun…. Gardens are for relaxation and enjoyment if they’re not for money making!!…. Experiment with your placement of the plants, add another one of a different solid color, maybe, to see what the accent does to the whole look….

And do keep the weeds out!!….

1 – Ask the water department what plants they recommend.

They often have lists.

2 – Buy a copy of Sunset’s Western Garden book, or borrow it from the library.

If they say something will grow in Vegas, it probably will.

If they say it won’t, it’s not a plant for beginners. This will save you $$$$ and lots of frustration.

3- Take a class in “xeriscaping” if the city or community offers one.