The Home Vegetable Garden - Basics
(Coming, is a whole section devoted to starting your Market Garden type of business)

Simple Sources of Information

 - your friends and family
 - your neighbours - probably one of the best
 - your local garden supply centre (s)
 - your local farmers market vendors
 - this website - which is one of literally hundreds of "how to garden" websites

Keep in mind - people were cultivating crops, ("gardening") a long, long time before the world wide web was developed, and even before books were printed.  I am guessing it was pretty much your family and neighbour you gathered most of your information from.  (assuming the "neighbours" were friendly)

Location, Location, Location

What agricultural Zone are you in?  What types of vegetables can you grow?

See Above -         Simple Sources of Information

Location IS important.  However, if you own or rent, possibly in or near a city,  and have a smallish yard in which to locate your garden your options may be limited. You can still move forward on your "dream" and have a garden.  With some creativity, and within reason, a you should be able to grow a (vegetable) garden almost anywhere.

SUNLIGHT - Do your best to locate your garden plot where there is the most sunlight.
 - and, when you lay out your rows, try to orient (aim) them North/South.  That way the sunlight shines along the rows, not across.  If across, this  will cause some rows to be shaded.  (Plants make chlorophyl with sunlight - and, chlorophyl is green - thus green leaves -  oops sorry, getting technical)

ELEVATION / TOPOGRAPHY - If at all possible avoid locating your garden plot in the lowest area.  (you garden will be constantly muddy and damp which could result in root rot as well as fungus and insect infestation.  Use slightly higher ground so your garden will have some drainage. 

Another less considered reason to stay to higher ground, is that cold air is heavier than warm air and therefore the cool air will "pool" in the lower places in your yard.

(I am a certified thermographer [infra-red technology] - and an aerial instructor with using it) Many times I have observed the cool, often, damp, airflow, drifting down a creek or valley bottom across nice, arable soil on an alluvial plain) 

WATER SOURCE - Remember, we are taking the basics here.  You will be glad if you can easily drag a garden hose with nozzle or sprinkler right into the garden.  (we'll talk about different types of watering systems later,  i.e. hand spraying, overhead, and ground irrigation)

SOIL - We will discuss later in greater detail - however, the BASICS.   A nice LOAM type soil is ideal, but you may have sandy, clay or even somewhat rocky soil.  If you don't have ideal soil in the beginning, it simply means you will have another step to deal with regarding obtaining or changing (modifying) your soil that is available in your garden plot.

NOTE:  If you are considering obtaining a larger piece of "farmland" on which to grow crops and plan to derive an income from this venture, then part of your LOCATION quest must also consider the soil type.