Vegetable Garden Design

Firstly, think what you want to grow.

The main principle of vegetable garden design is that you must plan to operate a crop rotation system. Once you have decided on a rotation system it will not be easy to change it wholesale although with gardening there is always room for gradual change.

The rotation must be at least 3 years. The usual system is a 4 yearly rotation

Year 1 Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers
Year 2 Peas and beans and other legumes
Year 3 Brassicas
Year 4 Root crops

There are quite a number of vegetable crops which will fit anywhere in the rotation e.g. sweet corn, lettuce, so you can use these to add some flexibility to your design.

Choose the sunniest part of your plot with the best soil for your rotation beds. Then, decide if you want to grow fruit. Tree fruit is planted permanently, soft fruit such as raspberries and currants will usually stay in position for around 10 years and strawberries need to be moved every 3 years. Most fruit will cope with some shade but remember that it will also make shade.

Lastly, there are some perennial crops which will need a longer term site outside the rotation. These include a lot of the herbs e.g mint, chives, thyme, and crops such as rhubarb and asparagus. These can be fitted into odd corners around the plot if you want although asparagus will need good deep soil to do well.

Next, you need to think about the basic infrastructure. You will need somewhere to store your tools which generally means a shed of some kind or a greenhouse. You may already have somewhere close by but if not, this will be a permanent feature so you need to choose its site carefully. If your plot is some way from where you live, it will also be somewhere you can shelter from the rain ( and the sun ), brew up and generally make a home from home.

vegetable gardens need a lot of feeding so you will need space for compost heaps or bins (at least two), a manure heap, maybe a leaf mould bin.
Vegetable gardens also produce waste – you may want a weed pile for weeds you don’t want to put into your compost, and a bonfire site for disposing of diseased plants and material too woody to compost.
paths will be essential so you can get around your garden

Before drawing up your design, study the garden area itself

what is the pattern of sun and shade during the day

and as the seasons change

how does the prevailing wind affect it

which bits are vulnerable to cold north-easterly spring winds

is the land free draining or are there wet and soggy places
is it flat or sloping
how are the boundaries of your plot marked out and what impact might neighbouring plots have on yours
how do you get to it, with and without a full wheelbarrow
where is the water supply

Now you know your plot and what you want in it, measure it out and draw an outline. Mark any permanent features already there and then sketch out where you might put the key features. Choose the sunniest, flattest, most free draining area for the main vegetable garden rotation area. The soft fruit can cope with less sun but won’t tolerate waterlogged roots. If you want to grow tree fruit, consider carefully the affect on the rest of your plot and on your neighbours’ gardens before you plant. The compost area can be in the least favoured area and if possible tucked out of sight behind the shed or other feature. You can sketch out various options on paper and see which will work best.

The design of your vegetable garden will change and develop over time as you learn what vegetables you like to grow and what vegetables like to grow in your plot. You will want it to be both productive and beautiful – whatever beautiful means to you. Some people like orderly rows, others like a riot of plants blending in with each other. While some orderliness is needed for productivity, nature loves the riotous approach best so will be on your side if you want to build in some of that too.

Allotment Cooking Recipes

How to Grow