Vegetable gardening is nutritious in both body and mind. It’s exciting to watch a little seed turn into a sprout, then into a small plant, and eventually, into a big ole squash plant that’s bursting with bright yellow gourds and giant green leaves. Digging your hands into cool soil is meditative. Smelling the basil and dill is heavenly. And you don’t have to live on a country estate to grow your own food at home, either.
City dwellers can plant vegetables in patio container gardens. In cold climates, you can start a small garden indoors or even grow vegetables outdoors most of the year if you have a greenhouse.
When it comes to planning a backyard vegetable garden, ideas are easy to come by. There are plenty of pictures of elaborate gardens with rows of sun-ripened tomatoes, entire sections devoted solely to peas, raised beds for root vegetables, and, of course, a fountain and seating area. We don’t all have gigantic yards, though. As nice as it would be to have row after row of heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers, it’s just not realistic when your backyard garden is a two-foot by four-foot rectangle between your driveway and the foundation of your house.
The thing is, you can create a really nice garden in that small rectangle of space. It’s a simple matter of timing, design, and plant selection. But if you have a large backyard, even better!
In the articles below, we dive into everything you need to know about vegetable gardening. You can learn even more in our How to Grow a Vegetable Garden: 10 Things Every Gardener Needs to Know Before Starting a Food Garden freebie. Enjoy!
Vertical gardening is very trendy these days, but I think it’s for good reason. Vegetable vines are great for growing “up,” and can be ideal for small gardens and containers. In fact, one of my city-dwelling friends manages to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and pole beans in a few large pots on the front porch. When I learned I could grow squash vertically around an arch trellis instead of, basically, everywhere they want to go, my life was forever changed.
I love a good garden joke. Why doesn’t Elton John like lettuce? He’s more of a Rocket Man. I was offered a job as a gardener, but I didn’t take it because the celery was too low. Oh, ho, ho. Knee-slappers I say. You know what else I love? Quotes about gardening, and these inspirational […]
The Winter of 2025 has already recorded record losses of bee colonies. But the good news is, honeybees are highly prolific and with the help of proper management, restoring these lost colonies are possible. What makes these fascinating insects so beneficial? Apis mellifera, the scientific name of most honeybees in the United States, have a […]
Vegetable gardening can bring a roller coaster of emotions. Watching your plants grow from seed or seedlings can be thrilling, especially when it comes time to harvest your crops. Not to mention the cost savings and peace of mind that comes from growing your own vegetables, herbs, and fruits. But vegetable gardening can be devastating, too. It’s heartbreaking to see your hard work and long hours go down the drain because of various garden diseases.
Let’s talk about health. No, I’m not your doctor, and no, I’m not about to make you feel guilty about the fact that you didn’t exercise yesterday. I, too, may or may not have exercised yesterday. As a food gardener, though, I am interested in what I eat and how it impacts my health. Since I can’t very well grow a chocolate bar in my garden, that topic is a bit more limited to vegetables that grow above ground and those that grow below ground.
It’s no secret that fresh vegetables are good for you. It’s also no secret that many of us don’t have enough fresh veggies in our diets. I could leave it at that and just say that the best summer vegetables to grow are whichever ones you’ll eat. But then this would be a really short post, and it wouldn’t be much help for people who are trying to reduce their sugar intake and eat more low carb or keto.
Is there any flower more lovely than the sunflower? Famous post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh painted a series of sunflower canvases. It appears on the state flag of Kansas. There’s even a National Sunflower Association, which shouldn’t be a surprise given the agricultural importance of these flowers.
Ever wonder why you see so much nasturtium in vegetable gardens? It’s a pretty flower, for sure, but there are plenty of beautiful flowers around. Why don’t you see Irises in vegetable gardens? What about daisies? They’re easy to grow, and they come in so many vibrant colors.
I admit it, I’m a scrapper. I love growing vegetables from scraps. It doesn’t always work, but when it does you get to give yourself a little pat on the back, and if you have kids, they’ll think you’re a super cool mad scientist.
When I think of deer-resistant vegetables, it’s usually a cartoon that comes to mind. I can picture little veggies with shields and swords trying to ward off a herd of hungry deer, mouths drooling, hooves stamping, and a little fire in their eyes. The vegetables are tenacious and scrappy, maybe leeks, banding together behind Sgt. Garlic and Captain Onion.
