The Right Way to Plan a Vegetable Garden

The Right Way to Plan a Vegetable Garden

Article by Steve Churchill

You may have been pondering how to plan a vegetable garden, if you want fresh vegetables this year. You do not have to restrict yourself to the customary straight orderly rows. There are other options available. You can unleash your creativity and construct a container or raised bed garden. You could even make a more formal flower type bed and fill it with plant life which produces vegetables as an alternative to flowers.

On a side note, there are a number of people who have started mixing flowers and vegetables in their gardens. One reason is that many flower blossoms are quite tasty (roses, violets, nasturtiums, etc.) Another benefit of combining vegetables and flowers in your garden is that it is good for your soil. Plants each have different nutrient needs and get them from the soil. By switching the plants that you put into the ground the balance of your soil is maintained from one growing season to the next.

Sublime Simplicity

Tidy rows are the first step in the long-established conventional vegetable garden. A specific vegetable is dedicated to each row. A north to south orientation, when possible, is usually recommended. To easily reach the rows you should till the soil and make it level. This makes it easier to reach the weeds in the rows and tend to the plants other needs. For larger vegetable gardens you may wish to add walkways so that you do not step on plants tending to the garden. Remember to plant your rows across a slope to keep the seeds from being washed away. It also aids the root growth.

Remember to research the space your seedlings need, this is very important in a conventional vegetable garden. The usual spring dampness causes a large variety of mold, mildew and funguses. One plant that has a disease pushed too closely to the others could spread to the rest of the garden very quickly. And infestations of bugs, caterpillars and the like will spread through closed in areas like wild fire.

Spice it up

When you begin planning the layout of your garden, you may perhaps think about making use of a raised bed as a substitute to the tidy rows of conventional gardens. The raised bed system uses blocks for planting. In addition to the unique look this system takes up less space. Another benefit this type of garden is that it is off of the local dirt. Tending to the needs of your garden is much easier. Your knees and back will thank you also. All you need are some old bricks, a few cinder blocks, or maybe left over timbers to build up your raised bed vegetable garden.

A bed at least 12