You don’t know what you don’t know. This is a great saying that can be tied to anything in life, especially gardening. As a beginning gardener there is so much to learn, I would also say that even as an experienced gardener there is always more to learn, try and experiment with. Learning from someone who has been there before can greatly accelerate your journey. They have usually made lots of mistakes and had lots of failures, which is a great way to learn what works and what doesn’t. Learn from the trials and tribulations as well as successes that they have experienced then experience your own. I think the best way to really learn anything is through hands on experience, but guidance from someone with more experience than you like a coach or teacher/educator can really help you skip past some basics that can set you up for long term success. There are things I like to tell any beginner gardeners that I work with so they can create a solid foundation for their gardening journey.

• Don’t Skip Hardening Off Your Plants – I see this mistake all the time with beginner gardeners. Skipping this step can hurt your plants by stressing them, which can lead to stunted plants that end up producing less harvestable crops. Start about a week before you plan to plant out your plants. Hardening off is the transitional phase of moving your plants from the comfort of the indoors or greenhouse to the garden. Start in 30- 45 minute increments at the very beginning of hardening off, then transition to longer times as you get closer to transplant day. I always suggest starting the process by placing your plants in the shade and move them so they are in full sun as the time gets closer to transplant day. 
• Look For More and Go Smaller – When purchasing plants form your local nursery, look for pots that have more than one plant growing in them. Quite often you will find many plants in one container that you can separate out once transplanted. Also when purchasing plants form your local nursery, look for plants that are on the smaller side. Avoid plants that are too large or any that already have flowers on them as a small plant. Larger plants are generally older and are probably root bound in the container which can stress and stunt them. Plants that are small, but already have flowers developing on them such as a pepper or tomato plant, are putting energy into the wrong place. They need to be putting energy into their root system rather than flowers and fruits at this size, I suggest plucking any flowers that are developing on small plants. (The exception to this is plants that have a small size at maturity.)
• Follow Intensive Planting And Square Foot Garden Spacing Guidelines – You can basically ignore the spacing suggestions on the back of seed packets. Those guidelines are for larger growers and farmers who will generally be using equipment to work their fields or growing area versus small backyard gardeners growing in raised beds or containers. As a small space gardener, I suggest using intensive planting guidelines as well as square foot gardening spacing guidelines when it comes to planting out your garden. You will be able to pack in more plants and have more options than if you follow the seed packet spacing. 
• Know Your Seasons – Knowing your average temperatures across the seasons will tell you which plants are able to grow during that time frame. There are cool, warm and hot temperature loving plants. Generally most plants within a plant family like the same growing conditions. For example, brassicas like cool weather and do best grown in the cool seasons. Kale after a frost is more sweet than kale in the summer which can be very bitter from the heat. Plant your plants based on the season they will do best in. Once you know this, it will set you up for success year after year. 
• Find A Coach or Mentor – Make sure to find someone who is further down the path than you, someone who you can easily learn from and uses a style or method you want to use as well. Ideally they will live in the same climate or area as you to be of the most benefit. Yes you can learn from someone across the country or world even, but you will have to learn to adapt everything for your specific climate. Learning from someone locally is the best option. They will know the challenges and benefits of growing in your area. They will know seed starting and planting dates for your area as well as what’s possible in your area. 

There are so many pieces of information that can be relayed in a post like this. These are just a few that I feel are beneficial for you as we approach our last frost date. Beginning gardeners can be overwhelmed by all the noise and variety of growing methods available to them. Finding a garden coach or mentor who knows your local growing conditions is so beneficial for maximum success in the garden. Knowing what to look for when purchasing seedlings and preparing them for the garden can help your plants by reducing stress and possible stunting. Knowing your seasonal temperatures and which plants can be grown in which season takes a huge bite out for the guesswork for beginners. Remember the key to learning is through hands on experience and made even better with a mentor to help guide you! Don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun in the garden.