Using a spreadsheet can make it easier to make changes to your plan Level 2Ĭreate a spreadsheet to keep track of everything, with separate rows for each crop. It’s a very tactile process and one that people with an artistic streak love. Using a pencil rather than a pen is important because you’ll need to erase and re-draw things as the plan evolves. Sketch out your growing area using old-fashioned paper and pencil. There are three options for creating your garden plan: Sketching your garden plan can be creatively satisfying, but it is time-consuming Level 1 It will need to be topped up from time to time as it decomposes. It prevents things from getting muddy and, as it’s a natural material, it will feed the soil and by extension the surrounding crops as it rots down. Personally, I love using woodchip on top of cardboard sheets for surfacing my paths. Paths can be bare soil, laid to grass, or even paved. That’s important, because treading on soil compacts it, which is worse for your plants. This means you can reach the middle of the bed from the paths without having to step on growing areas. If you can, I’d suggest keeping the beds or growing areas between your paths to a maximum width of 4ft (1.2m). Good, clear paths that are wide enough to comfortably get a wheelbarrow down will make life so much easier when watering, weeding or harvesting your crops.Ĭlosely tied to path width is bed width. Good paths make looking after your plants much easier Your Vegetable Garden LayoutĪs your garden expands, so too does the importance of being able to easily move about it. You also need to avoid frost pockets, so steer clear of lower areas where sinking cold air tends to collect. By raising the planting area to above the level of the surrounding soil, water can drain away more easily.
If your garden soil tends to remain wet, raised beds are useful. Your garden needs to be somewhere that doesn’t get waterlogged in wet weather or over the winter.
It’s worth noting where the shadows fall on a sunny day, and at different times of the year too (including in summer when trees will be in leaf) so you can accurately judge how sunny the area you have in mind is likely to be. You need somewhere that gets as much sunshine as possible – ideally at least eight hours of direct sun a day, but if the only space you have gets less than this, don’t worry, there’s still plenty you can grow. Choosing the right location for your garden goes a long way to ensuring its success.
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