See if your city has compost pickup. It's usually located where brush and yard waste gets dropped off in the early spring. I load up on gallons of it each spring for my gardens.

Native seeds (assuming you are in North america) are harder to germinate. Most need to be cold stratified for at least 30 days and then they have a low rate. The best method is either directly sow in the fall (which is what I do in my wildflower section) or winter sow in a container. I usually buy mine as starters except for my wildflower section which I do from seeds.

Gardening is a long term project so it's going to take time. Spring is the best with the anticipation and potential in the air