How do you layout a garden bed?

In general, plants at the edges are arranged with tall plants (greater than 2 to 3 feet) placed in the back, medium-sized plants (10 to 2 to 3 feet tall) in the center, and short plants (less than 10 inches) in the front of the bed. It's best to use groups or groups of plants to achieve a natural feel. Many gardeners find Mel Bartholomew's square-foot gardening method useful. On your raised bed, divide the space into a grid of 1 x 1 foot squares.

Then follow your plan to find out how many plants or seeds should be added to each square. Density is based on plant size. That could mean a tomato or several carrots. It's a useful way for beginners to get organized.

Accurate measurements are a vital part of your garden plan without them, you're not planning, you're just guessing. Measure the entire growing space and be sure to note the distance around any obstacles you need to consider (such as a fence post, a water faucet, or a play structure for children). Experienced gardeners often opt for organic mulch that breaks down and adds nutrients to the soil, although this means regular replacement. In general, an area in your garden where the grass grows robustly will also serve as a support for a good garden bed.

You can use any type of spreadsheet software, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, to design your garden. It's best to start the physical work of creating a garden bed inside a lawn in early spring, as soon as the ground has warmed up enough to be able to easily work it, but planning a garden bed often starts months earlier. A well-designed garden will include plants with a variety of foliage textures, from sword-shaped gladioli to the fine lace texture of a bleeding heart. Even in my Maine Zone 5 garden, I can grow up to three crops in the same garden space if I program it carefully.

While it's crucial to have enough space for a person to walk alone with a wheelbarrow (approximately 30 inches wide), it's even better to be up to four feet wide to make it easier to maneuver around the garden. Move the beds, change the orientation and size to see what makes the most of your garden space. Before you begin to map out your garden design, review the list of crops you want to grow, decide approximately how many plants of each vegetable you would like to grow, and review the seed package to see how much area each plant will need. This can be done with spray paint, powdered chalk, or with a flexible garden hose to outline the garden bed on the lawn.

This will allow you to create a garden bed almost anywhere you want, as long as exposure to the sun is adequate. Avoid areas where tree roots predominate, as trees steal moisture and nutrients from the soil and will make it difficult to maintain a healthy garden without extraordinary effort. You should expect your garden to look a bit sparse during the first season, but it will soon fill up and become denser.