Some things you will need:

You are going to need some containers to start your seeds in if you choose not to plant directly in your garden soil. You could use some clay or plastic flower pots if you have some or buy some. Or, you could use containers that you would normally recycle. I use deli containers as well as yogurt etc. that I drill holes in the bottom for drainage. These can be used multiple times and then still recycled when they start to fall apart. Also the plastic pots that flowers and herbs come in can also see quite a bit of reuse. A good size for a container might be about 5 in. high and 4-5 in. wide at the top. A nice thing about the thinner plastic pots is that they will release the plant and soil as a whole easier without the soil falling away from the roots. That makes it less stressful on the plants when putting them into the ground.

You will also need a good organic potting soil, some organic soil builder, some compost, a trowel, some gloves and patience. There will be other tools that you are going to need and want, like a shovel, pitch fork, cultivator, etc. Keep in mind that a lot of tools could be found for quite cheap at yard sales or flea markets, and often old tools may be better. With time, everyone kind of develops a preference for certain tools, and it could turn out to be something your grandparents used in their garden.

To keep things organized and to know which plant is which, you will want to have some kind of markers or tags. I use the side panels of plastic 1 gal. water containers that I cut up into pieces about ¾ of an in. by 4 in. I have found that the industrial or laundry permanent markers will stay readable longer than the normal permanent markers. By the time your plants have matured in the garden and you want to know which ones did well and which ones didn’t, the normal permanent markers will be faded and you might be left guessing. 

Why start seeds in containers:

The quick answer is that I have found that my plants will develop better root balls in containers than they will if I plant the seeds directly in the ground. Sometimes, though, I have luck placing seeds directly in the soil around some mature plants so that they will be coming up in spaces too small to dig a hole for a transplant. But, I often have to keep an eye on the new seedlings and put more soil around their stems carefully to give them strength to stand up on their own.

When you go to transplant them, the plants started in containers will often surprise you at how large their root system has developed compared to the size of the plant itself.

Another reason I prefer the container method is that all the seeds planted won’t make it, and some will be hardier than others. Since I have few choice spots to put plants, I want to put the stronger ones where they will have the best chance of producing.  That isn’t to say that some of the others will not turn out well, many will. But I have learned to try and stack the odds in my favor with such a small space to work with.