when to plant a garden

When is the best time of year to plant an herb garden?
I’m in the Southeastern U.S. I’m just tired of paying through the nose for fresh herbs in the grocery store. I’d also like to plant a few bell peppers, tomatoes, and maybe garlic, as well. And I need to know about how often I should water, and fertilizers and all that stuff.
Now is a good time to start, to get the bed ready for planting.
I like to water around 4pm each day but some people like to water every other day for a longer time, use your judgement
If you start with a good soil you will not need to fertilize until the garden gets “going”
I use worm castings sprinkled around plants
Design Build Plant Organic Garden – Companion Planting
