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!
You read that right. Even though there are lots of vegetables and herbs that complement one another in the garden, there are some vegetables that should not be planted together. Ever. They’re like the opposite of corn, beans, and squash. Or if we were to allude to popular culture, growing some of these vegetables together […]
Hey there, fellow green thumbs and food enthusiasts! We’ve embarked on an epic quest through our vast network of food gardeners and scoured the Internet’s deepest, darkest corners to unearth the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to garden-related humor. We’ve suffered through countless puns, endured a deluge of garden gags, and emerged […]
My dogs love fruits and vegetables. They would eat them all day long if given a chance. Every time I take out the cutting board, they are eagerly at attention, hoping for some scraps. I tell myself that when they are sitting there, looking at me with longing, that they are not actually begging, they […]
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.
If you’re new to vegetable gardening, you might see the six-pack of tomato sprouts at your local gardening center and think, “Wow, what a deal!” What you might not realize is just how big tomato plants grow. I’m 5’6,” and my indeterminate tomato plants are usually at least as tall as me.
Ah, the Thanksgiving when I discovered Ocean Spray cranberry jelly – it was a revelation that shook the very foundations of our family dinner table traditions. You see, Thanksgiving in our household was a serious affair, and cranberries held a place of honor right alongside the turkey. My father, the self-proclaimed gardening maestro and culinary […]
The best piece of advice I got over ten years ago, in regards to weeds in my garden came from a friend of my mom who always has the most pristine garden. Each row between his plants were always clean, and never seemed to have sprouts or bugs. I assumed he must be hand-weeding, but when I asked he told me “nope, I just go out every day with a hoe and turn the soil—haven’t had to bend over to pick a weed or mulch a day in my life.”
Ah, the holidays, a time when families come together, and tables groan under the weight of delectable dishes. I can vividly recall one particular holiday feast as if it happened just yesterday. There, spread before me, was a veritable potato parade that could have made even the most dedicated spud enthusiast dizzy with delight. It […]
Ah, tomatoes. The plump, juicy orbs of summertime. The base of every good marinara sauce. The bane of every green thumb’s existence. But where did these delicious fruits come from? And why are they so darn finicky to grow? First, let’s travel back in time to the 16th century. Tomatoes, native to South America, were […]
The first time I saw the mutant vegetables, I was scared. It was like a horror scene out of “The Walking Dead” or something. But then it hit me: Those were my carrots! That’s my corn! Oh my gosh, why is my tomato being so naughty? My mind raced with thoughts of how to solve […]
