An official website of the United States government.
Grow Veggies at Home
Plant what your family enjoys cooking and eating!
Learn about vegetable gardening through NAL collection items and selected external links to information.
A quote from the 1918, Farmers' Bulletin 934, Home Gardening in the South [usda.gov]: A well-kept vegetable garden is a source not only of profit to the gardener but of pleasure to the entire family.
Gardening Guides
Easy Gardening
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
These gardening factsheets help homeowners plan a garden and grow vegetables. Available in English and Espanol.
Starting Seeds Indoors
University of Minnesota Extension
This guide to starting garden plants from seeds indoors covers planning, planting and growing seeds, and moving seedlings outdoors.
Gardening at Home
Cornell University
Growing guides offer detailed descriptions and growing instructions, site and soil requirements, varieties, and more.
Gardening History and Heirlooms
Plan a Garden
Start a Garden
The basics of starting or planting a vegetable garden can be achieved in six simple steps: Planning; site selection; soil preparation; planting your seeds; maintaining your garden; and harvesting.
Identify nutrition education curricula [usda.gov] for elementary students including School Garden Center Curriculum Resources.
Ask an Extension Service Agent [nifa.usda.gov/] about veggie gardening!
Container Gardening
Window sills, kitchens [archive.org], patios, balconies, wall gardens, and doorsteps can be ideal for vegetable container gardening. Containers provide a way to grow food and add color to smaller spaces. Learn everything you’ll need to create Successful Container Gardens [illinois.edu] and harvest your bounty before you know it!
The Library of Congress' minibibliography on container gardening provides access to titles in braille and audio. [loc.gov]
Companion Planting
Companion planting takes advantage of the natural "relationships" between different vegetable crops and other plants. Utilizing companion planting in the garden improves productivity and also helps to deter harmful pests. Combination planting also aids in weed suppression and attracts beneficial insects and pollinators. [usda.gov]
Which plants and vegetables are companions? Check the Friend or Foe Companion Planting Chart [wvu.edu].
Books on Vegetable Gardening
Contact your local library to borrow books.
- All-new illustrated guide to gardening: planning, selection, propagation, organic solutions. Bradley, Fern Marshall and Trevor Cole, eds. NAL call number: SB453.A615 2009.
- Building raised beds: easy, accessible garden space for vegetables and flowers. Bradley, Fern Marshall. NAL call number: SB423.7.B73 2015.
- Find-it-fast answers for your vegetable garden: 1,251 ways to outsmart insects, diseases, and weeds and keep your plants healthy all season long. Bradley, Fern Marshall. NAL call number: SB608.V4 B73 2007.
- Food grown right, in your backyard: a beginner's guide to growing crops at home. McCrate, Colin, Brad Halm, and Hilary Dahl. NAL call number: S494.5.U72M33 2012.
- Gardener to gardener: 1,001 greatest gardening tips ever: the best hints and techniques from the pages of Organic gardening magazine. Bradley, Fern Marshall, ed. NAL call number: SB453.5.G328 2002.
- Resourceful gardener's guide: garden solutions, hints, and homemade gadgets from gardeners across the country. Bucks, Christine and Fern Marshall Bradley, eds.
- Rodale's ultimate encyclopedia of organic gardening: the indispensable green resource for every gardener. Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Ellen Phillips, eds. NAL call number: SB453.5.R65 2009.
- Vegetable gardening: from planting to picking: the complete guide to creating a bountiful garden. Bradley, Fern Marshall and Jane Courtier. NAL call number: SB321.C823 2006.
- Saving vegetable seeds. Bradley, Fern Marshall. NAL call number: SB324.75.B73 2014.
Search the NAL Collection
