Summer invites us to get out of the house and get into vigorous activities. One of the most rewarding activities is growing your own incredible, edible vegetable garden. While starting a vegetable garden takes careful planning and preparation along with hard labor, the results are worthwhile. Nothing beats the fresh flavor of goodies you just picked and the satisfaction of knowing you grew them yourself. When you choose from country farm style house plans, make sure to consider the best place to put your homey crop of vegetables.

Your first step to starting your first vegetable garden is to plan the design and take into consideration the size and variety of produce. Start small because you can always expand your vegetable garden in future seasons, once you know what you can handle.

Choose vegetables your family loves so it will be a treat to go shopping in your own garden to harvest fresh foods. Popular choices include beans, corn, cucumbers, peppers, peas, tomatoes and squash. Figure out how much of each variety you need to plant to meet the family’s need, and put in a few more if you want to share your crops with neighbors and friends.

Selecting a proper site is extremely important. The most convenient spot is in full sunlight near the house but you also need to consider trees, shade from buildings, soil quality and drainage. To get the right site, you may need to put your garden further from the house. As you select your country house plan, think about placement of your home in relation to your landscaping and gardens.

For crops to mature properly, your vegetable garden must have at least six hours of full sun daily. The soil should be fertile and drain well so water doesn’t puddle after a big rainfall. The area should have good air movement but not be windy because that can break plants and dry out the soil. Your vegetable garden also should be close to a water supply for convenience so you don’t have to lug around a long hose.

Draw a diagram of the garden you want so you can map out each row according to plant requirements and height. The plants should grow from smallest in front to tallest in the rear to maximize airflow and sun exposure.

Having properly managed soil makes all the difference in how your vegetables grow. A simple way to get soil with a balanced blend of nutrients is to buy a pre-mix to add to the soil on your site. These mixes are formulated to produce the healthiest plants. The soil should be prepared by getting rid of rocks, debris and weeds. Tilling and raking are necessary to fluff and smooth the soil.

You are finally ready to start planting. Use your garden layout from the beginning to place stakes to mark where different plants will be planted. Create a grid-like pattern using string tied to the stakes to easily mark where each plant will be located. For climbing plants like beans and peas, build trellises or set in tall stakes. Make mounds to plant vining crops such as melons and cucumbers. Establish your pathways early so you don’t walk on areas you just planted. Don’t crowd your plants because spacing and planting depths are crucial. Place a marker or tag on each row or area so you remember what plant will sprout and where to expect it.

You can get your garden started with several planting techniques. Random sowing is sprinkling seeds over the soil and topping them with enough soil to cover them up. You need to water carefully because excessive moisture will flood the seeds out.

For furrow planting, use a hoe to create a straight furrow in the soil and plant seeds every couple of inches. You then use the hoe to cover up the furrow.

You can use seed strips, which are tiny seeds of vegetables such as carrots and radishes on paper strips. Stretch the strip out, lay in a furrow and then cover it up with soil. The paper decomposes as the seeds start to sprout.

Seedlings, transplants and starts are all started from seed indoors and brought outside for planting when they become sturdy plants. If you want to grow your own seedlings, consider having an outdoor room or enclosed porch where you can start them yourself and include it in the design of your country porch house plans.

The time now comes to water, weed, cultivate, mulch and look out for pests. Watering is essential both in the early stages and throughout the entire season. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water weekly.

Weeds rob your vegetables of light, root space and water so keep them pulled on a regular basis. Mulching between the rows helps to control weeds and conserve moisture in the soil.

Vigilantly check for pests that are checking out your garden. Discovering the problem early makes it much easier to take action to eliminate those pesky pests.

When the first sprout bursts out of the ground, all your hard work will start to feel worthwhile. When the plants become ready to harvest, you will finally enjoy the fruits (or rather vegetables) of your labor.

Note the expected harvest date and be sure to get into the garden at the right times to gather those delicious fresh vegetables. During the heat of the summer vegetables ripen fast and can rot quickly. If you will be away on vacation for a week, invite neighbors and friends to come by to pick what ripens while you are gone.

Though starting a vegetable garden is a true commitment of time and physical effort, it is one of the most gratifying activities. The plants develop quickly and respond to your good care, so just a short time after planting, you and your family will be picking and eating with extras to share. Imagine the pride you will feel from your garden’s bounty.