Tomatoes are perhaps one of, if not the most, popular plants to grow.  I have compiled a list of tips to try; many I do myself.

Sun
Its no more basic than this.  Lots and lots of sun makes great tomato plants.  They can grow in shady spots but the results will not be satisfactory.

Soil
Dark, crumbly, loamy soil is the best.  If you have thick clay, work in straw or compost to loosen it (and in time, this will substantially improve all your soil anyway).  Adding manure also works.

Planting
There's usually two routes: deep or long.  By deep, I mean planting so that the more of the plant is actually below soil level.  This lets the plant absorb even more moisture deeper from the ground.  Plus the plant will develop roots along the stem allowing it to feed better.  The other approach is to dig a shallow trench and lay all but the top part of the plant in it covering it with soil.  Be sure to remove leaves from the buried portion though.  This has the same effect as the deep dig method without the strain of a dig hole.

Fertilizer
In good soil, skip conventional fertilizers.  Instead try adding a couple tablespoons Epsom salt to the soil before planting.  Epsom salt adds magnesium which tomatoes love.  Try this for peppers as well.  Also try adding crushed egg shells to the soil.  The calcium in egg shells helps to prevent disease.

Suckers
I'm not talking lollipops...I'm talking about the small sprouts that suck nutrients from the fruit.  There are two approaches to these.  First, you can leave them alone.  Other wise, pinch them off.  Pinching them off allows the nutrients to go directly to the fruit and leaves.  On the other hand, the suckers do shield the fruit somewhat from the sun and helps prevent sun scald.  I prefer to leave the suckers alone simply because I have other things to focus my time on.

A quick search of "raised bed gardening" will bring up a basic list of its fundamental advantages...  Loose soil, warms sooner, less maintenance, better drainage.  Those are all fine and dandy.  Perhaps you have other reasons.  Significantly raised beds are easier to work.  Just imagine being able to sit down and work the beds instead of bending and reaching, hurting your back?

Regardless of your reasoning, building the beds are simple.  My own photos will be coming online as soon as my project is done.  My personal garden this year (as I've just moved and am starting over) will consist of twelve beds measuring four feet by eight feet.  I am also using some reclaimed lumber from my parents' deck.  Since I'm on a budget anyway, the beds will initially be just 5-6 inches tall as the boards from the deck are only roughly 5.5 inches wide.  To summarize so far...

• Beds will be 4' Wide x 8' Long x 6" Tall
• Beds will be held in places with four corner stakes made from 1" x 1" lumber
  
• Lumber used is reclaimed decking (previously pressure treated but at 15 years old, I'm not too worried)
• The sides are 1" x roughly 6"

To fill in the beds, I have extra top soil on hand.  Many suggest cutting and removing sod but instead, I would turn it over.  This will kill the grass and add more organic material to your beds over time.  This is also handy if you're just starting out and don't have any compost yet.  If you don't have any topsoil on hand, it can be bought by the bag (and you will need many many bags just for a few beds) or you can obtain good topsoil from many nurseries or hauling companies.  It should at least be dark and rich looking, loose, and contain few if any rocks.  You will need to fertilize or add compost/manure to this over time anyway so while starting with good soil is important, it isn't impossible to improve it.  This all depends on your budget and needs.

For more detailed instructions, try Lowe's Creative Ideas website.  They also have a video how to.

My Project

One of the main reasons I need to build raised beds is the massive water problem in my yard.  The area is heavy thick clay and retains water badly.  My plants would drown.  See the photos of the standing water (1 and 2) and my foot in the middle of it (1).  The raised beds are getting the plants out of the water.

Next thing...woody! 

Tips

• Lumber
  Do not use pressure treated wood for vegetable gardens.  Nix railroad ties too.  Unfortunately the chemicals found within them will leach into the soil tainting your food.  Try cedar or redwood for rot resistant lumber.
• Blocks or bricks
  Cement cinder blocks and bricks can also make fine beds.  This is a more permanent solution though.  I have also read about chemical issues on cement but honestly, I doubt it.  Its a rarely raised issue.
• Sizing
  Figure out what you can comfortably reach, either sitting or knealing, then determine your bed size.  I made my beds four feet wide so I can comfortably reach everything inside without walking on it.  Some people make beds five feet wide and yet others only go two or three feet.  Length is only limited to what is convenient for you.
• Soil
  Suggestions here can vary.  I prefer to go with a no dig method.  This means that once the soil is in place, it is only minimally disturbed.  This saves the soil structure (quick version:  over time bacteria begin to grow in the soil and this is beneficial to plants, digging the soil disturbs the bacteria).  No dig has been found to improve harvest yields no only in home vegetable gardens but also in large scale agriculture.  The other route that some suggest is deep digging.  This is digging up the initial twelve to sixteen inches of soil before adding anything to your frame.  If you really wish to do this, I suggest waiting a season.  Growing in the grow for a season will actually loosen the original soil and make it easier to work.
  

The Down Side (well maybe...)

• Moisture
  If you're in a poorly drained area, raised beds make sense.  If you live in a fairly dry area, the beds can actually dry out faster.  This is not always the case as raised beds often lead to closer planting which encourages better moisture retention.
  

Adding to the Pile
Firstly, consider briefly what you compost...  Is it just kitchen scraps, some grass clippings, and leaves when you feel so inclined?  Consider the list You Grow Girl has compiled.  Try recycling your used cotton balls, old pasta, or even wine.  Its amazing how much more you can compost and reduce your trash.

However, do not compost...

• Barbecue charcoal
• Coal
• Animal parts/meat/bones
• Glossy paper with colored ink
• Fat or grease
• Sawdust from pressure treated lumber
  

EDIT!
Charcoal is not typically recommended for compost (neither are wood ashes) because of the lime they add to the pile.  Since lime is is alkali it will throw off the pH in your compost tremendously.  I have used it to counter balance an acidic ingredient like pine needles though.

In simplest measures, composting is the method of turning organic wastes in usable soil.  While one can get highly scientific about creating compost, this is my quick and dirty guide to making easy compost (the compost is, however, not so quick).

Pile It On
Start out with whatever yard wastes and kitchen scraps you may have.  This can include leaves, grass, all fruit or veggie scraps, or even twigs.  Pile all this together somewhere in your yard that won't even your neighbor (it shouldn't smell but your neighbor may not take to seeing kitchen scraps outside).

Turn It
Turning the compost pile provides necessary oxygen for the bacteria in it that's working to break down the pile.  You need not frequently turn it.  Some people only turn it once or twice a year.  Others never turn it.  I try to turn mine at least once a week.  The other option is to drive a PVC pipe down the middle or the pile to encourage air circulation.

Make It Fancier
Once you have mastered the basics and want to continue this as a long term project, consider building a bin for it.  This can easily be constructed from palettes or fencing.  I have a Compost Tumbler I use for some composting that is essentially a drum on a roller. 

Make It Easier
Many stores sell compost this time of year.  This is a more costly approach but you still gain the benefits of compost in your garden or lawn.

Other Tips!
You do not need to compost in exact proportions as some advocate.  Yes, mixing your carbon materials or nitrogen materials properly will yield quicker compost but is not necessary.  Nature eventually breaks everything down.  Give it time.

Unless you're in a huge hurry, skip the compost activators.  They will speed up your pile but once again, are not needed. 

Okay, I lied.  Corn meal itself does not kill weeds.  Instead, the gluten in corn works to stop seeds from germinating.  So...  If you have a landscaped area where you will not need to seed again for a while, spread some corn meal and watch it work (its a lot like watching the grass grow actually).

Use plain old household white vinegar in the garden for...

• Cut Flowers - Add a couple tablespoons to the water for recently cut flowers to make them last longer.
• Deter Cats - Sprinkle around where cats don't belong.
• Deter Ants - Just like the cat ordeal.
• Kill Weeds and Grass - Spray directly on weeds or grass to kill them.  This will however kill your plants if they get sprayed too.
• Clean Clay Pots - Soak in full strength vinegar to remove mineral buildup on pots.
  

Buildings often come off as ugly concrete, sometimes shiny pretty glass.  Either way, buildings tend to be inorganic.  The GrowSpot has some beautiful photos of work done by Patrick Blanc.  Blanc incorporates plants in the exterior of buildings by attaching a fibrous material to the building.  The plants then take root in that and water is trickled down behind it.  I love the idea to get more plant life back in the cities where its been lost.  Imagine 10 or 20 stories buildings covered like this.  I imagine there is also some insulating attribute to this as well.

This is also slightly different from your typical gardening.  A Google search for vertical gardening has great tips for pole beans and sugar pod peas but nothing on sticking plants to buildings.  Wikipedia has nothing on it yet either. This form of gardening varies because it seems to mostly be aesthetic but promises to be functional for insulating purposes.  I don't think it would be too practical to actually grow food on large buildings this way.  Someone should try it on their house though.

I usually don't write much about the basics of being green, like composting. When I lived in a more rural area, composting was fantastic. I gardened and left a spot in the corner for yard waste and food scraps. I usually didn't even mix it, I just let it sit and do its thing. Now I live in a small apartment in the middle of town. There's a small yard shared with my neighbors. I'm not sure my landlord would be too keen on a compost bin next to the building either. So I need something else.

Vermi-composting, or worm composting, is quite the possibility if you don't mind keeping worms in your home. Nothing against the squiggly little guys but I can live without that. There are definite benefits if you want to go that route though: the worms eat tons of scraps, produce little odor, and make fantastic compost. They've been doing it outside forever. However, I don't want any loose as I have young kids in the family and they need not eat them. Plus the worms aren't so swell with animal byproducts (meat, dairy, eggs, et cetera). So scratch that.

Now, if I had $300 lying around (oh, if only I did!) I would really be looking at the NatureMill. The device is really a simple concept. The folks at NatureMill basically took your standard outdoor garden compost pile/heap/bin, stuck it a box, added a little power to mix it up and keep it warm, and made it easy to pull out the finished product. I know, in theory it sounds easy. This composting bin sounds worth the money.

The makers claim that the NatureMill Plus can handle up to 120 lbs of waste every month. And it only draws about fifty cents worth of electricity so its solar/wind friendly (although I imagine if you're running off renewable energy, you're probably composting outside). It can also be used outside, just keep the power supply dry.

If you're doing a lot more heavy use and you don't think that 120 lbs a month will suit you, go for the Pro. This bad boy isn't available yet but when it is, it comes standard with a 3 year warranty (the Plus only has 1 year) plus its built stronger for large family or even restaurant use. If you're worried about somebody tossing it something they're not supposed to, you can also toss a padlock on this one. The Pro will sell for $400.

Finally for the pet lovers, get the Pet Friendly NatureMill. This version will still take your kitchen scraps but is recommended for your pet's lovely waste.  Just be sure to use this $400 model outdoors.  Please don't keep your pet waste inside.  Eck.