Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (2024)

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (1)

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It takes a lot to start a vegetable garden: choosing the right vegetables to grow and buying seeds, and then there's planning the actual yard space. Of course, there's nothing like the neat and tidy rows of traditional raised garden beds, with everything lined up and planted in an orderly fashion. But, sometimes, you simply don't have the space. If you live in an apartment with a balcony, a condo, or house with a small yard, you've got to get a little more creative. Fortunately, there are vegetable garden layout ideas for any size of yard.

A few factors will help you decide the best layout plan for your vegetable garden. Depending on your plant hardiness zone, you'll want to make sure you find a location for your garden that receives full sun, which is considered 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day. Many garden favorites, such as tomatoes and bell peppers, like it even hotter, so 8 or more hours is ideal. Very few vegetables will tolerate mostly shade, so if your yard is shaded all day, your best bet is to opt for a container garden that you can place where you do have full sun exposure. Also, make sure you have access to water; that sounds obvious, but if you have to haul watering cans or drag a hose too far in the heat of summer, it's not the most pleasant experience! Still feel up to the challenge? To inspire you, here are the best vegetable garden layout ideas including designs, products, and tips to make your garden even more productive.

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1

Hang a Pot Vegetable Garden

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (2)

Short on space? Try various hanging pots, which works well for many different types of edibles including strawberries, herbs, and lettuce. Bonus: it keeps your plants away from animals in your garden such as bunnies!

SHOP HANGING BASKETS

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2

Prop Up a Ladder Garden

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (3)

A repurposed ladder makes the perfect foundation for lots of pots of herbs without taking up a ton of space on your patio or deck. It also accommodates different sizes of pots and window boxes, as shown here, for a pretty and appealing display.

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3

Interplant with Flowers

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (4)

If you don't have a dedicated garden plot, plant edibles alongside your flowers. There's always room to tuck pretty plants such as Swiss chard and nasturtium here and there throughout your garden. Plus, the local pollinators will thank you!

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4

Line Them in Tidy Rows

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (5)

This layout is the most traditional, and it definitely is appealing! You can plant tight rows of plants that don't mind chilly weather such as lettuce, then pull them out when they go to seed as hot weather hits. Replant a heat lover such as beans in the same space.

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5

Grow Them on a Trellis

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (6)

Growing up is always a space-saving option. Plus, some veggies, such as cukes and squash, are more productive and less vulnerable to disease with vertical support (due to better air circulation).

SHOP GARDEN TRELLISES

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6

Grow Vegetables in Pots

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (7)

Place various sizes of pots on the stairs leading to your home. The benefit is that each plant gets its own container so they're not competing for nutrients or moisture.

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7

Try Companion Planting

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (8)

Many gardeners believe that by planting certain combinations of plants together, they're mutually beneficial—keeping away bad insects and attracting the good ones. Here, cabbage is interplanted with signet marigolds (also edible!) for a pretty and practical display.

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8

Construct Raised Beds

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (9)

Raised beds are the best way to deal with poor soil; they also warm up a bit faster in the spring than the ground. You can purchase one or DIY one from wood (don't use pressure-treated, which can leach chemicals) or concrete paver stones.

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9

Grow in a Vertical Garden

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (10)

If hungry garden visitors keep munching on your produce, try this ingenious solution: Long metal containers, such as repurposed gutters, can be mounted to stakes. Just be sure to punch holes in the bottom of each container, and plant shallow-rooted veggies such as various types of leaf lettuce, creeping herbs such as thyme, or kale.

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10

Set Up a Windowsill Garden

If you don't have a bit of space outdoors, a windowsill garden still allows you to grow something useful! Herbs are the best choice because they're easy to grow, many adapt to indoor conditions, and they're so expensive to buy at the grocery store. Just make sure they get plenty of bright light.

SHOP WINDOW PLANTERS

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11

Mount a Wall Garden

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (12)

Simple shelves or a repurposed wooden pallet make a great hanging vegetable garden. Herbs and lettuce do especially well, and you won't have to share with the neighborhood critters because they can't reach!

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12

Fill a Pocket Garden

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (13)

This idea is inexpensive and so cute! Repurpose hanging shoe organizers (just make sure the material is porous or poke 3 to 4 holes in each plastic pocket) to grow shallow-rooted veggies such as lettuce. You'll also find fabric pockets specifically designed for planting.

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13

Grow in Stock Tanks

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (14)

Stock tanks keep having a moment! Why? They're nearly indestructible, last for years, and are just about the right height for comfortable access--especially if you have back issues. Look for bottomless tanks or poke lots of holes in a traditional stock tank for drainage.

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14

Use Window Boxes

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (15)

Dress up windows in a pretty, practical way with a window box full of vegetables or herbs. You can also hang window boxes from deck railing to maximize your space.

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15

Arrange Shallow Containers

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (16)

Why buy lettuce that just ends up going bad in the crisper? Plant shallow containers with various kinds of lettuce, and harvest when you need it. Wait a week or two in between sowings. That way, you'll keep the harvest going longer.

SHOP GARDEN BOWLS

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16

Make Tall Raised Beds

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (17)

You don't have to forgo the fun of gardening if you have a bad back or achy knees. Raised bed planters at waist height can accommodate you and make gardening more fun, less painful.

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17

Grow in Fabric Bags

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (18)

Fabric bags are a great way to grow vegetables because you can fold these bags up for storage at the end of the season. They're especially good for crops such as potatoes because it's easier to layer soil and to harvest.

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18

Go Hydroponic

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (19)

Hydroponic gardens are less messy because the plants grow in water, not soil. Consider these for indoor gardens if you have zero outdoor planting space or sunlight. Many come in kits that include a grow light.

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19

Stuff in Straw Bales

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (20)

Believe it or not, you can grow vegetables in straw bales! It's fun, clean, and can be done anywhere, such as the edge of your property or even on pavement. The bales typically last a season or two, and you can recycle the rest in your compost bin.

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20

Strawberry Garden

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (21)

Here's a cool idea for an edible garden! Cut holes into pipe and mount high off the ground to keep your plants away from munching garden visitors. This works especially well for plants that can drape over the edges, such as strawberries. Just be sure to drill some holes for drainage on the bottom of the pipe.

SHOP PVC PIPE

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas (2024)

FAQs

Plot Your Own Vegetable Garden With These Layout Ideas? ›

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

How do you plot a vegetable garden layout? ›

When using this method, ensure you plant in a north-south direction. Additionally, arrange the plants in such a way that the tallest ones are at the north end of the row, followed by medium-height veggies, and finally, the shortest ones at the south end.

What is the most common garden layout for growing vegetables? ›

Rows. The most basic garden plan consists of a design with straight, long rows running north to south orientation. A north to south direction will ensure that the garden gets the best sun exposure and air circulation. A garden that runs east to west tends to get too shaded from the crops growing in the preceding row.

Can I plant peppers and tomatoes together? ›

Tomatoes. Although it's usually recommended to not plant tomatoes and peppers right after each other in the same bed every year, they can be grown together in the same garden bed (and then rotated to another bed next season).

What vegetables should not be planted next to each other? ›

14 Vegetables You Should Never Plant Together—Gardening Experts Explain Why
  • 01 of 14. Beans and Onions. ...
  • 02 of 14. Tomatoes and Potatoes. ...
  • 03 of 14. Corn and Tomatoes. ...
  • 04 of 14. Tomatoes and Brassicas. ...
  • 05 of 14. Cucumber and Squash. ...
  • 06 of 14. Lettuce and Celery. ...
  • 07 of 14. Fennel and Tomatoes. ...
  • 08 of 14. Peppers and Cabbage.
Jan 16, 2024

What veggies to plant next to each other? ›

Which Vegetables Grow Well Together?
VegetableCompanion PlantDon't Plant Together
OnionsBeets, carrots, Swiss chard, lettuce, peppersAll beans and peas
PeasBeans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, radish, turnipGarlic, onions
PotatoesBeans, corn, peasTomatoes
SquashCorn, melons, pumpkinsNone
11 more rows
Jun 26, 2021

Is there a free app for landscape design? ›

Plan-a-Garden creates design plans to visualize and structure your garden. Its drag-and-drop functionality allows you to pick plants and add them to your design so you see how their shapes and colors work together. The free application supports experimentation with multiple trees, shrubs, and perennials for landscape.

How do you plan a garden step by step? ›

Steps to Creating Your First Garden
  1. Choose Your Garden Type. Before you so much as break the soil, you should decide what kind of garden you want to grow. ...
  2. Pick Your Garden Spot. ...
  3. Test Your Soil. ...
  4. Amend Your Soil. ...
  5. Determine a Weed Strategy. ...
  6. Consider Your Sunlight. ...
  7. Plant Your Plot. ...
  8. Buy Your Plants.
Apr 25, 2023

What can you plant beside tomatoes? ›

Top 10 Companion Plants for Tomatoes
  • Marigolds. The bright colors and strong scent of marigolds make them an excellent deterrent against insects like tomato hornworms and aphids. ...
  • Garlic. ...
  • Onions. ...
  • Lavender. ...
  • Basil (Ocimum basilicum) ...
  • Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) ...
  • Asparagus. ...
  • Celery.
Jul 6, 2022

What is the best side of the house for a vegetable garden? ›

Ideally, you'll position your garden on the south side of any tall structures, such as homes, garages, tall sheds, and fences. This is especially important during the winter months, when the sun is lower on the horizon for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere.

Is it better to plant vegetables in rows or groups? ›

If you have the space for it, row gardening allows you to plant more and harvest more vegetables. Squares are limited because if they are too big, you can't reach the plants in the middle. You are also limited in the amount of plants/veggies you can grow in the given space. Get good weed cover with wide rows.

What is the best way to plant a vegetable garden? ›

Most plants should be spaced 2 to 3 feet apart, so they'll have room to grow and get plenty of sunlight and air circulation. Put your plants in the holes and cover them with soil. Don't bury them any deeper than they were in their containers. Gently press the soil down around them.

Where is the best place to plant a vegetable garden? ›

Sunlight and Sun Exposure: Choose a location that receives a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight each day. Locations with 8-10 hours of direct sunlight each day are ideal for most vegetables. The more sun exposure the better.

How do you group vegetables in a garden? ›

It recommends that you divide crops into four main groups as follows: Legumes (bush beans, peas, pole beans, broad beans); root vegetables (radish, carrot, potato, onion, garlic, beet, rutabaga, sweet potato, shallots); leafy greens (spinach, chard, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach); and fruit-bearing( ...

What is the best size for a vegetable plot? ›

Size – planning a vegetable patch that is right for you needs. How big a patch you create really depends on the purpose of your patch – for a beginner, a 2m x 3m patch should be more than enough to keep you occupied and the salad bowl full, while a 6m x 4m vegetable patch will feed the most veg-hungry of families.

What happens if you plant vegetables too close together? ›

But some vegetables are happy to grow closer together, and in fact benefit from it. If the soil is good—properly amended with compost and any necessary nutrients—there is no reason to give plants more space than they need. Relatively small, fast-growing annual vegetables thrive in what looks like crowded conditions.

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