what all can you grow?.... can you grow nuts and spices, or just veggies,fruits, and herbs?

You can grow whatever will grow in your zone.  There are 11 zones and some subzones in the US.  They reflect the low winter temperatures because some plants can't take the cold and others need it.  Once you know what plants grow in your zone, figure out if the area where you are going to plant them is sunny or shady.  If you go to a local plant nursery, they already know the zone info for your area and you just need to know if you'll be planting in sun or shade and then they can help you select plants.

I grow fruit, veggies and herbs because I only have a small hillside.  There is a volunteer apple tree on my property, but it only produces a couple of apples a year.  Herbs are the leafy part of the plant and spices are the seeds/root/bark/fruit (sometimes) part of the plant.  I don't harvest spices because I feel sorry for ripping the plant apart, but you can if you can find a plant to start with and it works for your climate.  Nut trees are another thing I don't have room for.  My parents have walnut and pecan trees and they take up a lot of space.

do you have to plant everything at seperate times?

Different plants should be planted at certain times.  Some plants need to be planted after the last frost in the spring and a lot of local, native shrubs should be planted in the fall going into winter.  If you use a seed packet or bulbs, it will say on the back of the packaging when to plant them.  If you go to the plant nursery to buy plants, usually the plants that are available are the ones you can plant when you buy them (you don't have to wait until fall if it's spring, because they won't have those fall plants in stock until the fall).

is it really hard to do?

Nope.  If you planted a shrub, during the summer deep water it once a week, let's say, instead of daily because you want the roots to grow down and deep instead of stay shallow and spread out.  Herbs may need more frequent watering.  The best way to keep plants from becoming diseased is to keep them healthy.  If something does happen to them, there are a lot of organic fixes available.

I'm looking forward to gardening.... I will plant lots of herbs and maybe some tomatoes and watermelon. Can't wait to make yummy pestos this summer! :P

i think i'm gonna container this year in my backyard...the yard is a mess, i don't way to buy a mower (should i rescue a goat?!  ;)). i am looking forward to it. i think about.com has some information on it. i googled "container gardening" and found a lot of stuff.

Um yeah, who wants to deal with weeds? lol!

i think i'm gonna container this year in my backyard...the yard is a mess, i don't way to buy a mower (should i rescue a goat?!

A neighbor where I used to live borrowed a goat from somewhere each spring and would tether it in his yard in the spring to take care of weed abatement.  I felt sorry for the goat, but the goat didn't appear to mind it.  Mmmmm... fresh weeds for everyone!

I have heard of people borrowing goats. The goats love it, but I don't know if it is offered everywhere.

On the topic of growing your own food, can anyone tell me which herbs are good indoor herbs? Like in-a-pot-on-a-saucer type of indoors. I love chives, parsley, basil, peppermint, dill, ... well, everything really, and all I have is a sunny window in my little dorm-room (hopefully a patio/backyard starting in June). I know there are some herbs that hate the indoors, and some that are ok. My mom has basil on her windowsill but she says it dies at least once a year so she buys a new plant. I'd love to keep my herbs growing indefinitely (windowsill or not), so which ones? Our farmer's market has a good variety, ... hmm, maybe I should ask them.