1. Know Your Tools

One of my very first gardening tips that I thought I would share is knowing your tools. Sure, you know what a shovel is and what a hoe is, but do you know what they are for? Do you know what dirt you should be using for what things? These are all things that you've got to consider and research before you actually start gardening!

2. You Want Worms

I hate worms. I repeat, I hate worms. I think that they are creepy and crawly and that they are disgusting, but the surest sign that you have good dirt where you are is all about the worms. I was surprised when I dug around in the dirt at my place and discovered just how many worms I had buried in it! Hopefully everything I planted grows!

3. Keep Track of the Sunlight

When you are planting veggies, flowers or even shrubs and trees, you want to keep track of the sunlight and how much sunlight whatever you are planting is getting. Just go out on a really sunny day and mark exactly where the sunniest part of your yard is and plant whatever needs the most sun right there!

4. Pay Attention to Tags

I actually didn't think about this until I was planting – how do you know where everything is unless it is clearly marked? What we did was keep the original tags that came with my tomatoes and cucumbers and actually put those in the dirt, so that I couldn't forget how to care for them! You could also make your own!

5. Consider a Raised Garden Option

If you are thinking about becoming a really serious gardener, you might want to consider a raised garden! My mom actually turned half of my childhood backyard into a garden and this year, they are doing a raised garden and it looks beautiful! You could do one bed in tomatoes, one bed with lettuces, one bed with herbs – it's a genius idea!

6. Fruits or Veggies?

Do you want to grow fruits or veggies? Do you want just flowers? Think about all of this before you head out to the garden store to spend your life savings! You want to really make sure that you are growing something that is pretty easy – but also something that you'll eat or use.

7. Know the Difference between Perennials and Annuals

Finally, do you know the difference between perennials and annuals? I had no idea until I started to actually dig down and decide what I wanted. Perennials will grow back year after year, where annuals you'll have to plant every single year. It all depends on what you want to do!

These are just a few of the gardening tips that really worked for me! Do you have any more that you can share? What tips do you have for a beginner?