I am a first-time homeowner and first-time gardener here in Zone 10 in Los Angeles, looking for tips on how to prepare my yard for a few things I'd like:

edibles for cooking (I love making jam, and would love to grow veggies and fruits/berries, plus herbs)

a little learn & play patch for my 3-year-old

fragrant vines/flowers?

We had to remove some dirt from one side of the house, and just had them dump it in the far side of the yard to level it out, and now I don't know what to do with that. I'm such a total newbie that I honestly don't even know what questions to ask. I'd appreciate any tips at all on how to level it out, how to improve the soil so things can grow in it, how to assess which areas would be best for which types of plants, what's appropriate for a first project for somebody with no experience, books, videos ... anything!

Many thanks!

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

Once you know more about the soil you have then you can make decisions about what that soil needs to grow strong and healthy plants.

How to level the area - shovel and rake unless it's a mountain and then you might need to hire a machine to level.

How to improve the soil - sure, do a soil test but then you have many options. Growing a cover crop for a few months then digging it in works well. Doing a lasagna bed is another option. Buy compost, animal manures to till in, or other amendments depending on the results of the soil test. Learn about organic gardening as it's very important to the health of your family and the earth.

How to assess which areas would be best for which types of plants - watch the area to see how much sun/shade occurs at different times of the day and make a map to show that. This will help you plan your yard and garden so you don't plant sun loving plants in the shade or vice versa.

What's appropriate for a first project for somebody with no experience? Start a compost pile first. The most important part of any garden is the soil so learn how to improve it. Grow vegetables you like that are easy such as short carrots, radishes, bush peas and beans, lettuce mixes, and some herbs such as chives, dill, parsley. If you like peppermint (or any of the mints) know that they can be very invasive and confine in a large pot. I'm still digging up mint I grew about 14 years ago! Set aside a small area for your 3 year old as his/her very own garden. Buy him gardening gloves, small tools, and a few packages of seeds that are his very own. Radishes come up very quickly so are quite satisfying for kids. If he doesn't like to eat them show him how they can be composted.

I highly recommend new gardeners visit their local library and borrow gardening books especially those written for their climate zone. Also join a local gardening club which will provide lots of info and often free plants. Google your questions and you will learn a lot. Visit the gardening forum for California (link below) as well as this soil forum and don't be afraid to ask questions as they come up.

We all started out with no knowledge so it's a learning experience for all of us. Enjoy the process! :)

Your soil is probably heavy clay and alkaline, same as mine in CA bay area.

I tried for years digging in compost, leaves, grass,... The clay soil in a warm climate really eats it up and goes back to being clay.

For a simple approach that should work, dig in 50% wood chips down 16". Mulch with wood chips and then fertilize enough with blood meal to keep any plant leaves green.

This year when I did this my worm population exploded, first time ever I've been able to keep a large worm population going.