Growing your own vegetables is a great way to connect with nature and save money on your grocery bill. It’s a project that can involve the whole family and is a rewarding experience for everyone.

Choose a spot for your garden that receives six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day. Key to any successful garden is the quality of soil. If you are planting directly in the ground, amend the soil with plenty of compost.

Many gardeners prefer raised garden beds if the native soil is poor and for the benefit of a longer growing season. You’ll need certain garden tools to build and maintain your vegetable garden. These include tools for digging, hauling, cutting and watering. They are generally inexpensive and with proper care, can last for decades.

Once your vegetable garden is established, the only maintenance it will require is watering, weeding and controlling pests. Fill your garden with vegetables and herbs you and your family like to eat. A planting journal will help record what you planted, where, and how it did.

There are many garden tools in the marketplace for vegetable gardening and are often for specific tasks. The list of tools below are the basics you’ll need for your vegetable garden project. They can also be used for other yard work and are generally not vegetable garden specific.

• Garden gloves
• Watering can
• Garden hose
• Hoe
• Pruning shears
• Hand trowel
• Shovel
• Garden rake
• Garden fork (also called spading fork)
• Wheelbarrow