Growing vegetables can be done very simply with minimal effort, or very elaborately with advance planning and many tasks involved. However you want to approach it, growing your own produce is eminently satisfying, providing fresh food you can harvest directly to your table. Home growing can also save money, especially if you grow from seed. There are many approaches to growing vegetables outside, and a range of methods suitable to different conditions including sunlight exposure, soil, budget, and available space. Consider the amount of time, money, and effort you want to expend. Whether you have acres of land, a tiny balcony, or something in between, we've gathered the best vegetable garden ideas for you to gain inspiration from. Let Vining Plants Climb Growing vining plants in the vegetable garden is a great way to create a dynamic design by incorporating vertical supports. You can use either existing structures (like fences) or create your own (using bamboo stakes or trellises). This can be done with many kinds of plants including beans, peas, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, and miniature melons. Lay Gravel Paths Around Raised Beds If you have permanent raised bed structures, creating an easy-maintenance walkway around them makes work easier and also keeps the garden area looking neat. You can use mulch, but this needs replenishing each year and can get muddy when watering. Gravel is a great choice for a clean-looking path with excellent drainage. Gather Eclectic Containers There's no need to build angular beds, dig parallel rows, or buy a dozen matching containers to plant your vegetable garden. As long as you have containers with good drainage that are the appropriate size for what you're growing, they can be any shape or arrangement you want. You can use old furniture or repurpose old tools like wheelbarrows for a creative assortment of planters. Curate a Cute Balcony Garden A balcony space can be made into a vegetable garden depending on how much room you have. Arrange containers around your seating area to create privacy and add some flower plantings for color and fragrance. Use principles of vertical garden design to make the most of your available space. Arrange Rows by Height to Create Shade To make the most of available sunlight, and create some late afternoon shade for tender greens, plant your rows of vegetables strategically. Let your taller sun-loving veggies like tomatoes and corn get plenty of sun. Arrange stakes for beans and other vining plants to create semi-shady spots for lettuces, kale, and herbs. Before planning your design, spend some time observing how the light falls across your garden space during the growing season. Try Low, Curved Fencing Creating low fences for vegetable beds not only helps contain weeds, but it also makes for an attractive design and makes it easy to lay down mulch or straw for paths. Many kinds of materials can work for this, but flexible willow fencing has a great rustic look and is long-lasting. If you have woodland areas on your property, you can also use young tree saplings or fallen limbs to create your own fencing. Create a Simple Square Foot Garden Square foot gardening is a method designed by an urban planner for organizing your planting in a square raised bed. This method is easy to implement and helps you make very efficient use of space. It's a great approach to gardening in a small yard or on a balcony, but also a good way to create a streamlined design for larger vegetable gardens. Opt for a Low-Maintenance Container Garden Containers are the ultimate way to employ flexibility in your vegetable garden. They can be easily arranged and moved, and stored out of the way for winter. They save a lot of time and effort because it's much easier to plant and weed container plants than a conventional vegetable garden. DIY a Chicken Wire Fence If you want to plant a vegetable garden but need to protect it from wildlife, consider a chicken wire enclosure. This inexpensive material can be wrapped around stakes or poles, or used with wood to build a more elaborate fence design. The openings are small enough to keep out most large rodents like woodchucks and rabbits (two of the most destructive pests).+ Fill a Metal Bed With a Medley of Veggies Ready-made raised garden beds are now a very popular way to grow vegetables. Metal beds are considered a great durable option. From simple kits that snap together to ready-made tubs, usually made of galvanized steel, these beds are easy to clean and come at a range of prices. To plant a mix of vegetables in them, plan to have taller plants in the back (like tomatoes supported with stakes) and smaller ones that might spill over the edge in front, like greens, lettuces, and herbs.

Winter may feel more like a month of hibernation, but it's perfectly possible to enjoy gardening and see a few green shoots well before spring rolls around. One of the best ways to do this is by propagating and growing herbs indoors. Whether you're interested in growing basil for your favorite dishes or would like the calming fragrance of lavender in your home, we spoke with two gardening experts to get their best advice on propagating herbs during winter. Use Softwood Cuttings First, you're going to need cuttings to get your indoor herb garden started. "For herbs like basil, thyme and oregano, I would recommend to use softwood cuttings, not hard, so that one can actually succeed at getting those plants started," says master gardener Kim Butler. The same can be said for lavender and rosemary. If you don't already have cuttings, it's better to wait for spring. "They don't propagate well from hardwood cuttings, which is usually all that's available in the winter months," says gardening expert Ren Elizabeth. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Keep Your Cuttings Warm You're not the only one who appreciates a cozy home during winter—your herb cuttings will love and thrive in this kind of environment, too. "Herbs develop roots a lot faster if they are kept around 70ºF," Elizabeth says. To maintain this temperature, she suggests using a heat mat, or putting them near your radiator or wood stove. Not only does this give your plants a better chance of survival but it cuts down on the possibility of rotting, too. Be a Mindful Propagator Some herbs are easier to grow than others, and practice makes perfect, as does knowing certain plant behaviors. Even the simplest herbs to grow can have their fair share of challenges—like mint. While you may want to move these herbs outside come springtime, Elizabeth warns against putting mint to raised beds or directly into the ground. "It really will take over and it is really difficult to stop its spread," Elizabeth says. The best way to keep herbs in check is to do your research. Invest in a Grow Light Because winter is darker and colder than spring and summer, having a little supplementary light can help support your cuttings. Propagated herbs need the energy from a light source in order to grow and thrive, just as newly planted seeds might. In order to support your plants, you can invest in true grow lights, or get creative like Elizabeth does. "I use LED shop lights that I have mounted on a metal shelving unit," she explains. "While shop lights don't emit a focused light spectrum like grow lights do, they are very affordable to buy and are energy efficient." Opt for Water Propagation There are a few different ways you can propagate plants, but Butler recommends using a water propagation method by "placing the cuttings in a clear jar at room temperature with the leaves above the water." It's a relatively simple way to get your herbs going and doesn't require any soil from the get-go. However, Elizabeth says to keep an eye out for algae growth. She's found that her water-bound cuttings are often prone to algae. "In order to keep this at a minimum, I change the water a few times a week," Elizabeth says. Add Some Honey Part of propagating and growing herbs indoors is waiting. It takes some time to see growth and get your herbs to a point where they can be planted and harvested. "I sometimes add honey to stimulate the process," Butler says. But she also adds that you shouldn't "use nutrients until they have properly established roots." Keep a System Going Year-Round Winter propagation is totally doable, but it's smart to have a system and routine in place all year long to keep your plants healthy and keep an abundance of herbs coming in. "[I] regularly prune them, rotate my pots, and sometimes move them outdoors for some air, and use those cuttings to start new plants," Butler says. Elizabeth also encourages taking more cuttings than you usually would—especially for this colder season. "By giving yourself an extra cutting or two, you're countering some of the decline in rooting rate that you'll normally experience in the winter," she says. Know Specific Plants' Needs While there are some general herb care guidelines, each plant has its own needs. It's smart to read up on the specific herbs you want to propagate and grow so you know how to best care for them. For example, Elizabeth notes that oregano is hardy and "does well being propagated by division nearly year-round." Thyme, on the other hand, does best when it's layered under dirt in the soil. Knowing what different herbs like will lead to far more success when creating your own herb garden this winter.

Tomato plants are the most popular vegetable grown in the home garden, so all we want is for them to thrive and produce a bountiful harvest.1 Tomatoes Growing Guide. Cornell University. There are several ways to support tomatoes as they grow, but could coffee grounds be the secret ingredient to growing tomato plants successfully? The answer is no, but if composted properly, it won't hurt the plants. We share everything you need to know about using coffee grounds for tomato plants in the garden. Why Coffee Grounds Can Work for Tomatoes Coffee grounds contain nitrogen (about two percent) and trace amounts of phosphorus and potassium necessary for plant growth. But, scattering coffee grounds on the top of the soil or even working it in slightly is not effective. The caffeine residues in the used coffee grounds can actually suppress germination and slow the growth of some plants. The grounds don't release their beneficial components until organisms in the soil break them down—that can take months in a compost pile. The best way to use coffee grounds for tomato plants is to add them to your compost pile of leaves, grass clippings, and vegetable trimmings. Turn the compost pile often, and then use the organically rich mixture to enrich the garden or container soil before you add the tomato plants. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Should You Use Coffee Grounds to Fertilize Tomatoes? Coffee grounds should not be used as the sole fertilizer for tomato plants. The grounds do not contain the nutrient balance that tomatoes need to thrive, and adding too many grounds will affect the soil's pH. Tomato plants can tolerate slightly acid soils, as low as pH 5.5. But plants are the healthiest and most productive when the soil pH is 6.0 to 6.8. Suppose you use organically rich soil (that can contain some composted coffee grounds). In that case, you may not need to add a great deal of fertilizer when planting tomatoes or throughout the growing season. Benefits of Traditional Fertilizer vs. Coffee Grounds Coffee grounds contain just two percent nitrogen and mere traces of phosphorus and potassium, and it takes weeks or months for the grounds to break down enough to release these nutrients into the soil. Most tomato plants benefit from the application of a balanced NPK fertilizer a few times throughout the growing season. Avoid using a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen (N), as you will get excessive leaf formation and less fruit. Appropriate levels of potassium and phosphorus have positive effects on fruit sugar and acid content. Proper fertilization also produced tomatoes with more health-promoting carotenoids and red lycopene beneficial to human nutrition. Adequate plant nutrition is important in producing tasty tomatoes with better flavor and appearance.