Beginner Garden Tips: Growing a Garden in Zone 8A (Atlanta, GA)

Starting a garden can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re navigating a new climate. I live in Atlanta, Georgia, which falls in USDA Zone 8A. Unlike my native California, where plants can thrive year-round, gardening here has required a little extra research and planning to understand what will flourish in my space

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My Why:

The Inspiration Behind My Garden

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I was inspired by countless gardening accounts, but the one that truly resonated with me was Nicole Burke AKA, The Gardenary. Her book: Leaves, Roots & Fruit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting an Organic Kitchen Garden changed my perspective and encouraged me to find my “why.” Here’s mine:

The healthiest way to start the new year is to start a garden.
I wanted to:

• Become more self-sustainable by growing herbs and vegetables to create fun, healthy, and diverse recipes.
• Reduce my reliance on grocery store produce.
• Experiment with herbal medicine to promote energy, reduce inflammation, and support overall health.
• Learn something new and take up a hobby that keeps me inspired and fulfilled.

How I Started My Beginner Garden

Finding the Right Spot

The first step was identifying the ideal location in my yard. I observed which areas received the most sunlight and staked them out. After temporarily relocating to Los Angeles, I returned to Atlanta with fresh eyes. That’s when I noticed a patch of yard filled with evergreen bushes that didn’t bring me joy. That space became the perfect nook for my vegetable garden.

With the help of my gardener, we removed the existing plants and laid down rocks to create a solid foundation for the garden beds.

Building the Garden Beds

As a beginner gardener in a new climate, I dove headfirst into research. I initially considered building my own garden beds, even buying plans, but after some delays, I came across Two Women and One Garden. Hiring them was the best decision I made. They guided me through the entire process, offering both craftsmanship and gardening expertise.

For those with a DIY spirit, you can grab a free copy of my garden bed template here. If you’re local to Atlanta, I highly recommend Two Women and One Garden. They’re knowledgeable, kind, and a joy to work with.

Two great tips I learned from them were:

1) Getting the right soil. They recommended Soil3 brand and I really do feel like it made a big impact.

2) The lasagna method for structuring the garden beds. It involves layering organic materials like compost, leaves, and soil in specific order to create nutrient-rich beds.

Grab your complimentary garden bed template here

The Outcome

My beginner garden exceeded my expectations in many ways, even though it came with a few challenges. Here’s what I grew:

• Big wins: Cucumbers (the biggest I’ve ever seen!), spinach, radishes, bush beans, parsley, dill, and carrots.
• Learning opportunities: My tomato vines grew like crazy, but they didn’t produce fruit—a reminder that proper trellising is key. I also grew a single kale plant that thrived for a while, but I’ll plant more seeds next season to increase my yield.

I tried new things like adding a wooden trellis to the back which gave the garden a nice look but didn’t serve a function other than that. This year I plan to move it up closer and vine my cucumbers on it. I started seeds indoors earlier this year and plan to add cut flowers to my shady backyard bed.

Closing Thoughts

Gardening is a journey filled with lessons, and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing your hard work turn into something beautiful and edible. Whether you’re growing for health, sustainability, or just for fun, starting small is the key to building confidence and learning what works for you. Happy gardening!

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Grab your complimentary garden bed template here

If you’d like to see more progress in the garden you can follow along on TikTok, Instagram, and my YouTube channel!

-Sharlene