Hi Stephen, 

Thanks for reaching out to UVM Extension Master Gardener Helpline. We unfortunately don't offer house visits as a service but I can give you a run-down of some key pointers and resources here. 

If you have specific questions, don't hesitate to reach out again! 

Site: First an appropriate site needs to be chosen. Vegetables and most flowering plants need 6 to 8 hours of sun. The bed shouldn’t be shaded by trees or structures. Being able to get water to the garden is also important. Avoiding a windy site and where water does not collect would also be helpful.

Garden Bed: It would be a good idea to start small to familiarize yourself with the work involved and determine the time you have to commit. Stake or mark the perimeter of the desired bed. Remove the vegetation there trying to remove the roots.

Soil Test: Getting a soil test to know the soils pH and soil fertility would also be a good idea. The pH measures whether a soil is acidic or alkaline with 7 being neutral. Most vegetables grow best in a pH between 6 and 7. A soil test will give you your current pH, nutrient levels, how to amend the soil for the desired pH and fertilizer recommendations for the plants you plan to grow. Here is the web site for obtaining and submitting a soil test: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/agricultural-and-environmental-testing-lab

Amending Your Soil: No matter what type of soil you have, amending it with organic matter such as compost would be a benefit. The drainage and structure of clay soil would improve. Sandy soils structure would also improve as well as promoting moisture retention. Nutrient rich soil is the basis for healthy and strong plants. Compost can be bought in bags at garden centers or hardware stores. A good three inch layer that is then incorporated into the soil would be excellent for a new garden.

Raised Beds: An alternative to an in ground garden is a raised bed. It can be created with almost any durable material. There are kits available to form the frame for raised beds. It’s a good idea not to make them more than 4 feet wide for easy access within the raised bed. The length would be a personal preference. Instead of garden soil, a mix of 60% top soil, 30% compost and 10% potting soil is used. This mix promotes good drainage and is ideal for planting. There is now available bagged soil mixed especially for raised beds. No soil test or fertilizer would be needed if using a raised bed when beginning a garden. This is a very comprehensive web site on gardening in a raised bed: https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2761e/

Plant Material: For vegetables, you can purchase seedlings to plant as well as buy seeds to directly sow in your garden. It's best to buy transplants for vegetables that have a long maturing time such as tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and herbs. Other crops are best started from seed in the garden. These would be crops such as lettuces, spinach, carrots, radishes and squashes. There is very helpful information on the seed packets as to depth to plant, spacing, time to plant, thinning and special considerations. Here is a link to a zone hardiness map - https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-vermont-usda-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php

Starting a garden is an extensive subject. Perhaps you might think about purchasing a
good beginning gardening book. Or, perhaps you might be interested in taking the Master Gardener Course - https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/extension-master-gardener-course

We do have some excellent resources on our website as well -https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/gardening-resources

Hope that helps! Happy gardening!