Fun Cheap and Easy Practical Outdoor Gardening Ideas

Not all gardening has to be complicated, expensive, and a lot of work. Some are just a matter of adding dirt to the correct container. This post shares some practical outdoor gardening ideas to help you create another non-permanent bed to add more vegetables to your garden. Recently, I set up a potato garden for my ever-growing vegetable garden.

Jump to:

• Our project this weekend
• Outdoor gardening for small spaces.
• After Raised Garden Bed
• Update 2023:
• Outdoor gardening ideas
• Vertical Garden Bed Types

Our project this weekend

Here's what I did this weekend. If you have read my blog for a while, you know I dismantled my garden last year and replaced it with this one. We decided to expand our garden because we enjoyed having fresh veggies over the summer. Our addition this year is our potato and string bean garden. While researching, I found it necessary not to put certain veggies together in the same garden; some veggies complement each other. For example, potatoes and string beans complement each other. And, since we love string beans, we wanted to make more of them. So we moved the string beans out of the three-tier garden into a garden bag. Here is the link to check out the different veggies complementing each other.

If you want to see how we set up the raised bed garden, here's the link to the post.

If you are wondering what a garden bag is, I found it at Gardeners.com. (not an affiliate)  It is made of BPA-free polypropylene, measures 50" in diameter x 12" deep, holds 400 quarts (13.7 cubic feet) of planting mix, and is made in the USA. It's pretty affordable and is delivered folded up, so it doesn't cost a lot to ship.

Outdoor gardening for small spaces.

Below is how I set up this new garden.

First, I added dirt to the center. We used garden soil (which I bought extra-large bags at the wholesale store). To change the dirt in the three-tier garden, we took some of that soil and transferred it into the center of this bag after we laid it out.

Add soil

I then added the soil until it was a little more than halfway full because I needed room to make a ditch.

Create straight-line ditches

But it turns out that the circle ditch idea wouldn't work because I wouldn't have enough room for the string beans. So, I changed the configuration of the potatoes and started all over again. The instructions for the red potatoes said that I needed to make a ditch, then add compost into the ditch and then the potatoes, and more dirt to cover the potatoes, then add more soil every few weeks while it grows, so I needed to be able to have a lower level of dirt on one side so I could add to it. Here's what I have now.

Divide the section of the bed for your different vegetable seeds

The potatoes are to the right, and the string beans are to the left. It works a lot better now. I was able to put more string beans into the bag this way. Plus, the string beans instructions said it needed a lattice, and I could add two smaller lattices to use on both sides. Hopefully, it will hold the weight of all the string beans.

After Raised Garden Bed

Here is the finished garden. You can't tell, but the right side is lower than the left. The bag held together pretty well; I hope it will grow potatoes. Only time will tell.

Here are both gardens. It took the entire day on Saturday and part of Sunday, but it's finally done. You can't see it in the picture, but we have hanging baskets for strawberries this year. I never grew them before. Hopefully, they will do well in the baskets. What do you think?

This year's raised bed garden consists of two types of lettuce: kale, spinach, swiss chard, broccoli, and beefsteak tomatoes. In the pots in the back, there are spearmint and flowers.

Update 2023:

Since I created this post, I updated it to a larger, two-tiered, more permanent double-bed garden. But, when we removed this one, it still was in good shape. The bottom wasn't at all broken from the weeds. And we were able to reuse the dirt for the new tiered beds. It is a wonderful product to use in a small space when it can't be a permanent one.

Outdoor gardening ideas

There are several options when it comes to outdoor gardening ideas. From Raised beds on the grass to containers on a deck, there are plenty of ways to get your outdoor gardening fix. Below are the ones I found useful for smaller homes.

A Raised Bed

Like the one above, they are freestanding and easy to assemble. The only downside is that you may kill some grass if you place it on the lawn. For smaller homes, pick a corner that is not used. For us, it was right in front of the patio. If you pick the center of the garden, you will need to mow around things, which could add to the weekly chores.

There are a variety of raised garden beds to choose from. I prefer the cedar wood gardens. Below are other options.

• Metal garden beds - there are a variety of sizes. Measure the width, length, and height of your space before buying one.
• Wooden garden on the ground - these beds can be super large, but you can find smaller ones.
• Elevated wood garden planter box beds - these beds are raised up to waist height to help minimize lower back issues.

The above links are from Amazon (affiliate) (affiliate). If you want to see these beds, feel free to visit the links. I will receive a small commission if you purchase something on Amazon (affiliate) using my links on this page. Thank you for supporting my small business.

Large Container Garden

Large containers are another outdoor gardening idea for patios, decks, sunrooms, entryways, and any area that has plenty of sun for the vegetables to grow.

Containers can be low to the ground or raised up to waist height, depending on your needs. Just be sure that there is a way for drainage and that it will not damage where you are placing it.

Vertical Garden

In another one of my posts, I took baskets, hung them with chains, and attached them vertically to my deck above my raised bed garden. It worked great to add another area to support more plants. I used several hanging plant types in this vertical space. Tomatoes and strawberry plants were my go-to options to allow for plenty of growth and to fill in the space between the baskets. Check out the image below to see how I made them.

Vertical Garden Bed Types

There are many different types of vertical garden beds. Below are just some of them.

• Plastic framed vertical garden - these are freestanding. It may be wobbly when it is not filled with dirt. It can be placed inside and outside.
• Wood-framed vertical garden - these gardens are pretty stable and can be placed inside and out.
• Fabric with pockets vertical garden - These fabric ones are great for unused walls in a small backyard or balcony area.

These links are from Amazon (affiliate)(affiliate). If you click through, you can see the variety that is available.

I hope this DIY project and these outdoor gardening ideas help you make a wonderful garden for your family to enjoy.

Now it is your turn. Do you have a vegetable garden? What is your favorite vegetable to grow? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you. 

Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate), and at no additional cost, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.

Feel free to visit my other outdoor organizing posts!