The easiest way to garden outside that I've ever found is to build a 3' x 3' x 6" raised bed, fill it with different brands of organic potting soil, then water using a soaker hose set to a timer. The raised bed cost $8 to build using untreated lumber from Home Depot, the soaker hose was $10 at Target, and the timer cost me around $35 at Lowes and I set it for 3-min every other day. What I like best about this method is that it looks nice, doesn't require any digging, it's inexpensive, and it practically runs itself.
For potting soil I originally used a blend of Kellogg Patio Plus ($4 a bag), Super Soil ($6 a bag), Fox Farm ($12 a bag), Earth Grow ($5 a bag), and Roots Organic ($30 a bag). More recently I've just been using the Kellogg Patio plus and I haven't noticed a difference. I've also done side by side grows in containers testing FF vs Roots Vs all the other brands. Roots appears to be the best, but barely. To me it's really not worth the extra price, especially when fertilizers will more than make up for it.
Optionally you can buy Water Crystals for around $8, soak them in water for 3-4 hours, then amend them into your potting soil a few days before you plant anything.
Before you start planting you want to soak the bed really good and test the system for at least 48 hours. Next, get your seeds -- you're best bet when starting out is you buy feminized F1 hybrids -- and soak them for 5-10 minutes (max). Once your done soaking your seeds, roll them around in an mycorrhizal inoculant like Great White (ask for a free sample, they give you enough to dust over a 100 seeds), then sow them 1/2 inch deep directly in the garden in early to mid March (check the Farmer's Almanac for your "Zone" and your "Last Frost Date" and plant at that time).
Or if sowing outside makes you uneasy, you can start indoors in Feb with a very simple light setup in your closet. A single 125W bulb should give you enough lighting for aprox two months of growth but I prefer to not go past four weeks. When starting indoors, you want to use one gallon containers (ideally fabric grow pots) and fill it with a seed starting mix made of peat moss or coir. Fox Farm Light Warrior and Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Mix are good choices. Keep the CFL lights 2-3 inches from the plant. Remember to soak the soil and allow the excess water to drain for a few minutes before you sow your seeds. Wait three weeks then begin hardening the plants off.
Just before you harden them off, it's best to lightly mist your plants with water and apply a light dusting of Diatomaceous Earth. This will prevent an early infestation and set you off to a good start. And unlike insecticides, DE will never cause a toxicity, so it's perfect for seedlings and delicate plants.
Start the hardening off process by bringing your plants outside at the end of week three very early in the morning for 1-2 hours. Repeat the next day, but leave them for 3-4 hours. Do it again, this time go a little longer, except try to remember to move them into to the shade around noon then put them back into full sun after 3PM. By the end of week four they are ready to be transplanted. Simply dig a hole deep enough to fit the entire container or 2" wider and deeper than your plant's root ball. Water just before you plant. Burry the plant. Back fill in the potting soil. Tamp down lightly with a shovel, then lightly water again being careful not to water so hard as to cause the plant to shift or fall.
From here on out all you need to do is dust your plants once a week for about a 2 months, then switch to a horticultural oil (e.g. neem oil, hemp oil, sesame oil, tea tree, fish oil, or even extra virgin olive oil) for another two months by applying 2 tsp of oil + 1 tsp dawn dish soap + 1 gallon of room temperature water, then switch to light insecticide, and back to DE. Always rotate so pests don't build a resistance.
That's it. The hardest part is researching the seeds, filling the raised bed, and going out once a month to apply your insecticide. IF your plants grow so quickly that you feel you need to fertilize (and I've grown 20' Sativas that didn't need any fertlizers from start to finish) buy Kellogg All Purpose Organic Fertilizer (NPK 4-4-4) and mix one cup to five gallons of water. Pour into the root area once in 1-2 times during veg and once during flower. That's it!
