Location, Location, Location

• The garden location should be close to the door to encourage a daily visit. Sun must be available at least six hours per day, and eight to ten is even better. The more convenient a water source is, the more likely the garden will be watered when rain is lacking.
  
  

Size

• An oversized garden is much harder to care for. A garden that is 3 feet by 4 feet has enough room for several varieties of tomatoes, peppers, beans and leafy vegetables. It is easy to reach all parts of the garden, and weeding is limited to a small space. Watering takes much less time. A smaller bed can even be covered with black plastic sheeting in the spring to warm the soil and get an early start in the planting.
  
  

Choosing the Vegetables

• Choosing vegetables for a garden is largely based upon the personal eating preferences of the family, but some vegetables are easier to manage than others. Tomatoes and peppers are popular and fairly easy to grow. Tomatoes need a cage in the beginning to ensure they do not fall over onto the ground and a vigilance to see that no pests are eating the plant. Although leafy vegetables such as lettuce require little maintenance, they rapidly mature and become inedible. A close watch and constant harvesting solves the problem.