The Garden is Open Wednesday- Monday, 9am -5pm | Last entry at 4pm. Garden will be closed this Friday, 5/23 for our Outlaw Field Concert.
Boise’s long sunny days, fertile soils, and dynamic growing season make the Treasure Valley a fantastic place to grow your own food. Whether you’re a new gardener or looking to level-up your veggie game, planting a vegetable garden here takes a bit of planning—and a lot of heart. At the Garden, we see vegetable gardening as more than just a hobby—it’s a community-building, sustainability-rooted practice with the power to nourish bodies and minds alike.
Step 1: Know Your Climate and Zone
The Treasure Valley falls in USDA Hardiness Zones 6b–7a, with a growing season that typically runs from mid-April to mid-October. Late spring frosts can still surprise us, so be sure to check historical frost dates and watch weather trends. Starting seeds indoors or choosing cold-hardy crops like kale, peas, and spinach can give you a head start.
Step 2: Choose the Right Location
Vegetables are sun-lovers. Aim for a space that gets at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Avoid low-lying areas that tend to collect frost or flood, and consider installing raised beds if your soil is compacted or poorly draining.
Pro tip: If you’re short on space, container gardening works wonders for herbs, greens, and even root vegetables like carrots and radishes.
Step 3: Build Healthy Soil
Healthy soil is the key to healthy plants. Before planting, amend your garden with compost or well-rotted manure to boost organic matter. In our Garden’s vegetable beds, we prioritize soil conservation practices like mulching and minimal tilling to protect structure and microbial life. A soil test is a great idea, especially if it’s your first time planting in a new spot.
Step 4: Pick the Right Plants
Choose vegetable varieties that thrive in our region’s hot, dry summers and that you’ll actually eat. Crops like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, beans, cucumbers, and melons do exceptionally well here with enough water and sunlight. Be strategic with your planting schedule: cool-season crops like lettuce and broccoli go in early, while warm-season crops should wait until after the last frost.
Step 5: Companion Planting for Natural Pest Control
One of the most sustainable ways to protect your garden is to plant strategic companions—plants that naturally support and protect each other. This organic approach helps reduce the need for chemical pesticides while enhancing biodiversity.
Here are a few tried-and-true companion combinations that work well in Treasure Valley gardens:
Carrots + Onions
The strong smell of onions deters carrot flies, and in return, carrots help aerate the soil around onions.
Tomatoes + Basil + Marigolds
Basil improves the flavor of tomatoes and repels aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms. Marigolds repel nematodes and beetles while attracting pollinators.
Cucumbers + Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums act as a trap crop, drawing aphids and cucumber beetles away from your cucumbers.
Potatoes + Horseradish
Horseradish at the corners of your potato patch can deter the Colorado potato beetle.
Lettuce + Chives
Chives repel aphids and improve lettuce growth, and their flowers attract pollinators.
Corn + Beans + Squash (Three Sisters)
An ancient Indigenous planting technique: corn provides a trellis for beans, beans fix nitrogen in the soil, and squash shades the ground to reduce weeds and retain soil moisture.
Incorporating flowers and herbs like calendula, dill, and cilantro throughout your vegetable beds can attract beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps that naturally control pest populations.
Step 6: Water Smart
In our high-desert climate, efficient watering is everything. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are ideal for minimizing evaporation and targeting roots. Mulching your beds not only keeps weeds at bay but also helps retain soil moisture—something we prioritize in every corner of the Garden.
Growing for Good: The Garden’s Partnership with Boise State Food Pantry
Here at the Garden, we believe a vegetable garden can do more than feed your family—it can support the greater community. That’s exactly the philosophy behind the Idaho Botanical Vegetable Garden, where Horticulturist Mylee Dyke leads with heart and purpose.
Under Mylee’s stewardship, the Vegetable Garden is thoughtfully planned and maintained not just for beauty or education, but for impact. All produce harvested from this space is donated directly to the Boise State University Food Pantry, helping support food-insecure students and staff. It’s a powerful example of how sustainable gardening practices and community collaboration can come together to create lasting change.
Mylee’s work reflects our broader horticultural mission: to curate and steward living collections that enrich our community and connect people with nature. Through seasonal planning, ecological stewardship, and a deep commitment to education, Mylee helps ensure that the Garden’s bounty reaches far beyond our gates.
Start Small, Grow Generously
Whether you’re planting your first garden box or expanding a backyard homestead, remember: gardening is about progress, not perfection. Take cues from nature, be willing to experiment, and find ways—big or small—to share your harvest with others.
At the Garden, we’re proud to demonstrate how growing food can grow community. Ready to dig in? Join us for a seasonal workshop or stop by the Vegetable Garden for inspiration.
