I'm giving thought to starting a fruit and vegetable garden, could someone give me pointers on what to do?

My Grandma has one but since do not know much about gardening, only she does (she's like an expert, haha), here are some links that I find very helpful:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_arti...

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/...

http://eartheasy.com/grow_backyard_vegetable_garde...

http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/

Good luck! Don't be afraid to really put your all into it and get dirty!

Using Seeds or Plants---------

Decide whether you want to grow from seed or from young plants. If using seeds, you'll need to start them indoors a couple of months in advance. Young plants go directly into the ground immediately after the last frost.

Compost

Start a compost pile. Recycling organic matter such as eggshells, coffee grounds and orange rinds will nourish your garden. Whether you start a simple compost mound or buy a compost bin, get your compost pile going at least six months to a year in advance so the organic matter breaks down. When it's time to till your garden to loosen the dirt for planting, mix compost with the soil.

Find a Sunny Spot

Find a spot for your vegetable garden that takes advantage of as much of the day's sun as possible. Avoid shady or partially shady spots, because vegetables won't grow well in these areas.

Consider Raised Beds

Raised garden beds help to drain water away from roots. You can create your own raised beds with boards or purchase kits. If you have clay or other soil with poor drainage, a raised bed 8 to 9 inches deep will help to prevent root rot and mold.

Choose Easy Vegetables

Start off with prolific, easy-to-grow plants such as zucchini and tomatoes. To learn about the best vegetables to grow in your area, consult a gardening guide for your hardiness zone and talk to friends and neighbors with vegetable gardens. Carrots, lettuce and peppers are also easy to grow, while celery can be difficult.

Consider a Fence

Consider erecting a fence. Fencing doesn't have to be a major investment. An inexpensive wire fence will keep away animals, kids and pets and will also keep your garden from spreading outside the desired area.

Isn't this the wrong time of year for such an ambitious project? I think the Fall would be a good time to plant fruit trees.

First of all, if you have the room, get a tractor in there and plow the ground, preferably in the autumn months, and let it air and break down over the winter...then in the spring, with the same machine, put a tiller on the tractor and till the earth...then add horse manure, preferably already rotted horse manure, it is the richest but also not so hot that it will burn the ground, it has the right consistency of nitrogen. Put lots of horse manure on the ground, cover the whole piece of ground in at least four inches of rotten horse manure, it should be the color of black. When you've tilled the horse manure in, you're ready to start planting. One thing to keep in mind when planting is to allow enough room between rows to run a rear-tine walk behind tiller through for cultivation/keeping weeds down, etc. After planting you must keep the weeds from around your plants, so till through between the rows and then take a hoe and work the soil around the plants, and pulling weeds where you can't get close enough with a hoe without damaging the plants.

Potatoes, plant them in decreasing moon, preferably in the sign of the scorpio ... most all plants do best in the scorpio sign.

All root crops should be planted in the decreasing moon. And all above ground plants should be planted in increasing moon.

Potatoes, pull a deep furrow through the ground to make a row, cut the potatoes in half and put the halves twelve inches apart in the row. then put a handful of 10-20-20 fertilizer between the "seed" potato halves, then cover. After they are about six inches high above the soil surface, hill them deeply around the plants on both sides, creating a steep hill like appearance to the potato rows, Once this is done, do not bother them until the vines have died, then dig...you should have some really nice potatoes, usually in about September, mid-late September.

Tomatoes - put three feet apart, stake them about two to three weeks after planting, tie the plants to the stakes, and make sure to keep them tied as they grow taller. Add fertilizer. And water as weather suggests.

Lettuce, leaf variety - take some old two by fours and make a box - fill with dirt to the top of the two by fours, draw a line through the soil with your finger...sow seed very lightly all down through the row, just barely pecking on the seed packet as you go. Take handfuls of soil and sprinkle over the rows, water, and wait for germination. Miracle grow fertilizer is best for lettuce.

Cucumbers - take your hoe and rake up a square mound of soil, run a line through the dirt like you did with the lettuce, except just slightly deeper than lettuce, sow the seed 12 inches apart, and sprinkle dirt on top until small furrow is level. Water and wait to germinate.

Pumpkins - same as cucumbers. Allow a lot more space however for pumpkins. As they are massive growers in respect to vines and fruit.

Corn - make a furrow with your hoe, take three seeds for each hill, six inches apart, be sure to put fertilizer in before you sow the seed, mix it in the soil so it won't burn the seed. Cover and wait to germinate. Pull the weakest stalks out for thinning of corn.

Beans, provide some sort of support system for beans if they are vine/climber beans, or as most old timers call them "pole" beans. For bush beans, make a furrow and plant one seed one to two inches apart, again, as with corn, mix fertilizer into the row before planting, cover and wait to germinate.

Beets - as with lettuce and cucumbers, make a very slight furrow, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, sow lightly, and take soil in hand and cover very lightly. Wait to germinate, when about two inches high, thin.

Zucchini and squash same as cucumbers, lettuce, and beets...sowing process is same...just make reserve spot in garden, because one seed/plant are big producers, and will give plenty of squash and zucchini for one family.

Peppers, take out of pot, and mix organic material in with existing soil, place top of root ball even with top of ground...sprinkle fertilizer around, water and done. Wait for fruit to appear. They are fairly easy growing.

You have many varieties of each to choose from. A little time and effort and you should be well on your way to a happier and healthier you. Enjoy! :)