With winter fading away and warmer weather approaching, it’s the perfect time to start planning your garden. A great way to make the most of your outdoor space is to design your garden around the foods you love to eat. Not only will you get fresh, homegrown vegetables, but you’ll also know exactly what to do with them when it’s time to harvest. Here are five garden ideas that will let you enjoy delicious homegrown meals.

1. Backyard BBQ Garden

A BBQ feast isn’t complete without creamy cole slaw, and you can grow most of the ingredients right in your garden. A simple slaw requires cabbage, carrots, and onions—ingredients that grow easily and can be stored for the colder months.

Tip: Both carrots and cabbage are biennial plants, meaning they can thrive for two growing seasons, and onions can be harvested in late summer and stored for winter use.

2. Mexican Salsa Garden

Who doesn’t love chips and salsa? Imagine picking fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro straight from your backyard to make the perfect salsa or pico de gallo. You can even turn it into guacamole by adding mashed avocado and a squeeze of lemon.

Tip: To keep your cilantro fresh, harvest it weekly. Tomatoes and jalapenos both thrive when staked and do well in pots, making them perfect for any size garden.

3. Italian Garden for Caprese Salad

Fresh basil and tomatoes are a match made in heaven, perfect for making a delicious caprese salad or margherita pizza. You can grow these plants together in your garden, and they’ll make your summer dishes bursting with flavor.

Tip: Basil is an annual plant that loves warm weather. If temperatures drop below 40°F, it’s time to harvest it. Tomatoes can survive colder weather but be wary of frost that could damage the plant.

4. French Garden for Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a quintessential French dish made with zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and bell peppers. These veggies thrive in the heat, and you can make your own delicious version without turning on the oven during those hot summer days.

Tip: Start your eggplant seedlings about six weeks before the last frost date, while zucchini can be started just two weeks ahead. This way, you’ll have all your vegetables ready to harvest at the same time.

5. Spanish Garden for Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a refreshing chilled soup perfect for summer, made from cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. With just a blender and a few fresh ingredients, you can have a light and tasty meal anytime. For an extra kick, throw in a jalapeno from your salsa garden!

Tip: Harvest cucumbers every couple of days to ensure continuous production. Peppers and cucumbers both need plenty of sunlight and water, but be sure to keep the soil moist with mulch to retain moisture.

Starting your garden with these ideas will not only enhance your meals but also give you the joy of growing fresh, flavorful ingredients. Remember, most of these plants should be started indoors from seed and can be planted outdoors only after the last frost.