It's officially the beginning of March so if you've been holding off on thinking about planting a garden, you can start now that the smell the fresh soil of spring is in the air. If you don't naturally have a green thumb and are new to the gardening game, J. Liberales has some great tips for you. These may be common sense for those experienced gardener, but in a day and age where time is limited, the simplest advice can save a lot of hassle for all of us novices.

- Do not plant in the garden until the danger of frost is past, or the soil temperature is 60 degrees. Indoor planting times are 6 to 8 weeks earlier than anticipated outdoor planting dates.

- Buy short, stocky, dark green plants not yet in full bloom. Large plants in full bloom do not transplant as well as the smaller plants

- During hot weather plant in the evening when it is cooler.

- Most purchased plants are grown in containers with individual compartments for each plant. Remove plants by gently pushing on the sides and bottom of the compartment. Try to plant as soon as possible after purchasing. Plants allowed to sit around may be damaged by sun or dryness and may not recover.

- Tear off the top of peat pots or bury them completely at planting time. If any of the peat pot sticks out of the soil it acts like a wick and dries out the rest of the pot. Roots have a difficult time getting through the dry, brittle peat.

Hit the jump to read the rest of the tips and to learn about the difference between annuals and perennials.

» Home & Garden Q&A by J. Liberales