The rest you’ll learn as you go, which is the real thrill of gardening: overcoming unexpected obstacles and ending the season with a hearty harvest. You literally get to eat the fruits of your labor! Here are 9 easy steps to growing your own vegetables. It’s also important that your vegetable garden is in a convenient spot to get to; otherwise, it may be neglected. In addition, the spot should be fairly level and have soil that isn’t compacted or too rocky. Don’t worry if the soil isn’t perfectly dark and rich with nutrients—you can always add soil amendments to make it a healthy place for vegetables to grow. When vegetable types come in a wide variety, such as tomatoes, do some research to determine the best bet for your garden plan. For example, if you’d like to harvest a little bit at a time, cherry tomatoes are a better option than large heirloom or beefsteak varieties. But even if the idea of spending your winter pampering tiny plants in the basement is disagreeable to you, there are still vegetables that grow best if planted from seed. Don’t panic. These can be direct sown in your garden. J. Paul Moore / Getty Images Research tips for laying out your vegetable garden and look at vegetable garden photos for inspiration. There are several easy ways to make the most of even a small vegetable garden space, such as choosing small or dwarf plant varieties, growing vining plants that can be trained upward, and mixing sun-loving and shade-tolerant plants so that the former provide shade for the latter. You can place your containers where they’ll get the most sunlight or even move them around to follow the sun. And raising your vegetables off the ground a few feet makes them harder for pests to reach. Of course, they’ll need more water than in-ground plants, and some of the larger vegetables won’t be happily cramped into a pot. Some tasks, like staking and mulching, can be done early in the season. Others, like watering and weeding, will be ongoing. You also want to decide early on whether you want to garden organically, because this may require soil improvements that should be made before planting. The trick is to stay on top of the situation and take the appropriate steps when necessary. This is what is called Integrated Pest Management, or IPM. It’s possible to grow only what you intend to eat fresh or give away, but it seldom happens that way. Besides, there are few winter treats as enjoyable as a pie made from your frozen blueberries or a jar of your crushed tomatoes. If you grow herbs, it’s handy to know how to freeze or dry them to enjoy their flavors throughout the off-season.
