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.

Daylilies are easy-to-grow perennials popular for borders and edging. In addition to the most commonly known variety, the yellow Stella D'oro, daylilies come in many different varieties in shades of red, orange, purple, and pink. The fast-growing and long-lived daylilies grow in a wide climate range, unaffected by winter cold or high summer temperatures. They are drought-tolerant and grow in most soils. The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Daylilies are toxic to cats. Planting The spacing depends on your patience. To naturally let them grow together over 10 to 15 years, space bare roots about 3 feet apart. For a clump that fills in earlier, space daylilies about 18 inches apart. If the soil is poor, amend it with compost before planting. Loosen the soil in the planting area to about 1 foot deep. Dig a hole deep enough to accommodate the root. Plant the plant's crown about an inch below the soil line, angling the bulbous roots outwards and a bit downwards. Evenly add soil and tamp it down to get rid of any air pockets. When the hole is 2/3 full, water generously, fill in the rest of the hole so that the crown is about an inch below the soil surface, and water again. Light Daylilies love full sun (at least six hours each day). In hot climates, some afternoon shade keeps your flowers in good health although shade may reduce the number of blooms. Soil Daylilies thrive in all types of soil but prefer fertile and loamy soil. Just make sure the soil retains moisture well (adding compost helps). Also, ensure that the site is well-draining to prevent root rot. Water Water daylilies regularly in the first growing season. Moving forward, only water about 1 inch per week during extended dry spells. Mulching helps retain moisture in the soil, plus it protects the plants in colder winter climates. Temperature and Humidity Daylilies are tough plants that tolerate a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels. Fertilizer Most daylilies do not need fertilizer. Instead, for added nutrients, add compost to the soil around the plants in each growing season. Types of Daylilies There are thousands of daylily cultivars and varieties. The most popular daylilies include: 'Stella D'Oro': This popular, reblooming daylily has flowers with a rich golden yellow that put on a show from early to midsummer, reblooming later in the season. 'Purple D'Oro': Another reblooming variety, this daylily has lavender-purple flowers that bloom in summer and rebloom in the fall. 'Crimson Pirate': This daylily has narrow, elongated red petals accented by golden yellow and a gentler sunny yellow throat. ‘Autumn Red’: This daylily has large bright red flowers, yellow eyes, and striped petals. Citron Lily (H. citrina): This cultivar grows 3 feet tall and its sweetly lemon-scented flowers bloom at night. Lemon Lily (H. lilioasphodelus, H. flava): The very fragrant lemon-yellow flowers of this 3-foot-tall cultivar bloom from May to June. Pruning If desired, remove spent flowers by gently twisting the wilted bloom between your finger and thumb. After flowering, remove the seed capsules and cut the flowering stems to the ground. Also, remove any yellowing leaves throughout the growing season to encourage the production of new leaves. Propagating Daylilies Propagating daylilies is typically done through division. Divide them every three or four years in either fall or very early spring. Dig up the daylily clump. Remove excess soil and place the plant on a tarp or cardboard to minimize the mess. Using a sanitized sharp knife or spade, divide the clump into smaller clumps. Make sure each section has a healthy clump of roots, and check that there are no weeds nestled in the roots. Replant clumps immediately in the new locations at the same depth as the original plant. How to Grow Daylilies From Seed Most daylilies grown in the garden are hybrids and those seeds will not produce true to the parent. For that reason, it makes the most sense to only start daylily species such as H. lilioasphodelus from seed. Start the seeds indoors or sow them directly in the soil in the fall. Here's how to start daylilies from seed indoors: Subject the seeds to moist cold stratification for about 30 days. Store the seeds in a dark, cool place in a paper envelope until you are ready to plant. Plant seeds in 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in a deep 1-quart pot so the roots have room to grow. If your seeds didn't germinate during the stratification process, they should sprout in about two to three weeks in the soil. Keep the soil moist at all times. Transplant seedlings to the garden in June or July. Note that newly planted daylilies take up to two years to show their first flowers. Overwintering Daylilies do not require winter protection. The foliage dies back after the first frost. If it doesn't, cut it back to just a few inches above the ground, or wait until spring at which time it is easy to pull dead stems away from the crown. Adding a layer of straw or leaf mulch before winter helps the plant withstand freeze-and-thaw cycles. Common Pests Daylilies are generally pest-free. Even rabbits avoid them, although deer may find the entire plant tasty. Prevent the occasional slugs and snails by picking up leaf litter around the crown of the plant. Check in early spring for any aphids around the first buds and be on the lookout for spider mites or thrips in hotter weather. Control and eliminate insect pests with insecticidal soap. How to Get Daylilies to Bloom Bloom Months The bloom time depends on the variety, climate, and whether they are rebloomers. Most daylilies bloom from June to July. Rebloomers bloom either a few times a year or they are everbloomers that flower through the late spring and summer from May to September. What do Daylilies Look and Smell Like? Daylilies typically have wide petals with have straight or frilly edges. They come in all colors and patterns, ranging from simple "self" patterns (one color with potentially different colored stamens or throat) to more eclectic polychrome patterns (blooms of three or more colors). Some types are more sweetly fragrant than other types. How to Encourage More Blooms Cut the faded flower stalks from the base to encourage the daylily to produce more flowers instead of seeds. Common Problems With Daylilies Daylilies are strong, relatively carefree plants, but sometimes problems arise. Leaves Turning Yellow If the leaves begin turning yellow, the problem is likely a lack of water. Make sure the plants get at least one inch of water per week. Leaves Turning Brown If the leaves begin turning brown, it is probably leaf scorch, a non-deadly but common daylily condition Remove all dead leaves, or cut the plant back to the ground after it is done blooming to encourage new growth if there is still time left in the season.

You should start tomatoes indoors five to eight weeks before planting in the ground, which should be after the last frost. Consult your USDA growing zone to find out when your last frost date is, as tomatoes won't survive those temperatures. Also plant seedlings with enough space between them, and add support structures early. Fresh tomatoes are a juicy end-of-summer delight. With a wide growth range from 60 to 100 days, it can be hard to determine when to plant tomatoes. To answer that question, we spoke with organic vegetable gardening expert Adam Weiss, founder of Pike Lane Gardens. Best Time to Plant Tomatoes You should generally begin to grow tomatoes in the spring to avoid the last frost of the year. It's best to plant tomatoes in two stages, says master gardener Adam Weiss. In the first stage, the seeds are planted indoors. In the second stage, the seedlings are transplanted outdoors. Space the planting stages from five to eight weeks apart. When to Plant Tomatoes Indoors When planting your tomatoes starting from seeds, they should be started indoors five to eight weeks before you plant them in the ground, Weiss says. There is a specific reason why tomato seeds are started indoors, according to Weiss. "Tomatoes are a warm-weather vegetable," he says. "If you planted the seeds in your garden or container in early summer, it would take a considerable amount of time—about five to eight weeks for the seed to germinate and another five to seven weeks for the tomato plant to grow to a seedling." Planting the tomato that way throws off the plant's growing schedule. Weiss says that if you planted in May, you would already be in late July by the time the plant started growing. The plant may still produce tomatoes, but not in abundance. Because your harvest time has been condensed, you'll get a limited harvest quantity of tomatoes. When to Plant Tomatoes Outdoors To pinpoint when you should plant tomatoes, Weiss suggests looking at outside temperatures rather than the calendar. Tomatoes are a summer vegetable, he says, and should be planted in your garden or container once the outdoor temperatures begin to warm. Tomatoes must avoid frost. "Ideally, the soil temperature should be close to 70°F for the seedlings to be planted," Weiss says. That recommendation applies only to planting tomatoes in the ground outdoors, not indoors. "It is much more challenging to plant tomato seeds outdoors directly," says Weiss. "There are several weather variables that could either dry or flood the seed before it even germinates." Frost Dates for Planting Tomatoes Because tomatoes must avoid frost, consult your local United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zone to learn the last and first frost dates for each year. A frost date is when air temperatures dip to 32°F (freezing) or below. There are ways to protect plants from frost, such as adding cloches, row covers, cold frames, or container wraps. Yet with tomatoes, the safest way to protect them is to avoid frost conditions altogether. Tips for Planting and Growing Tomatoes Sungolds, cherry tomatoes, beefsteaks, or green zebras? Regardless of the variety of tomato you love planting, Weiss offers these tips for the perfect harvest: Add enough space: Tomatoes need at least 24 inches between each plant to allow for ample sunlight, strong root development, and space. This helps minimize potential disease and pests. Plant fewer tomatoes if you don’t have the space. Plant seedlings: Always plant your tomatoes as seedlings to maximize your harvesting process. Plant seedlings deeply: Place your tomato plant deeper into the ground than other seedlings, at least 6 inches deep. You can bury the plant under the ground until the first set of leaves. This lower stem will develop additional roots, which will improve the health of your plant. Add structure early: Well before planting tomatoes, decide what type of trellis you want: tomato cage, stake, or another supporting structure. The structure must be in place before the tomato grows, as adding it later can damage the plant. Water deeply: Tomato roots grow deep within the ground, so water deeply two to three times a week at the base of each plant. Weiss suggests slowly counting to 20 while watering each tomato plant to measure the correct amount of water.