Garden Layout
Tips for A Successful Garden Layout
When planting a vegetable garden, it’s important to plan ahead regarding the garden layout. There are many things to consider when planning your garden. The area needs to receive the right amount of sun and moisture, and the soil needs to have proper drainage. Two of those items are actually things that can be controlled. Irrigation or sprinklers can be moved, installed, or adjusted to give the garden the right amount of moisture. The soil can be tilled and supplemented with fertilizer, and other materials to improve the condition of the soil.
The garden layout will depend on several factors. One of those aspects is the process of deciding which vegetables you want to plant. Think about the things you like to eat, then narrow down the list if space or time is an issue. Narrowing down the list can be done by researching about the amount of care each particular plant requires, and also by deciding which vegetables you prefer to eat really fresh. For example, tomato plants are pretty easy to grow and they also have a spectacular flavor fresh out of the garden. Green beans, on the other hand, take more work to care for and grow properly, and a person may not have as much desire for fresh green beans.
Now that you’ve decided on the vegetables you want to grow, the real garden layout planning should begin. Some vegetables, such as cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins, are grown naturally in hills and need quite a bit of space. Some vegetables, such as peas, are vines and need a support on which to grow and spread. Of course others, such as corn, are best planted in rows. Growing vegetables in rows is a good way to be able to distinguish which vegetables are planted where, especially when the plants are young. The other thing that you need to know about your vegetables is when they ripen. If one of the vegetables that is chosen ripens early, one option is to plant another vegetable in its place after the first vegetable is harvested.
For your garden layout, it’s also necessary to know which vegetables grow well together and which ones do not. Beans and onions shouldn’t be planted next to each other because the onions won’t grow well and broccoli will inhibit the growth of tomato plants. Another reason to choose what to plant next to each other is taste. Vegetable plants that contain a higher water content tend to take on the taste of their neighbors. This can be a problem if you don’t want your cucumbers to taste like garlic, but it can work to your advantage if you want to try something new. Some people will plant cucumbers next to dillweed to purposely add a little dill flavor. If the garden is small, remember also to plant taller plants such as corn and beans on the north side of the garden so they will not overshadow the rest of your sun-seeking vegetable plants.
Long rows and areas of hills are not necessarily the only way to layout a garden. Potager is a French term that describes an ornamental vegetable garden layout. Decorative, as well as delicious, vegetable plants are incorporated into potager gardens. These plants can include ruby chard and red cabbage. Sometimes flowers are also mixed into the garden. The entire garden is planned to be pleasing to all the senses as well as delicious upon harvest. Depending on the size of the garden, there can also be gravel or paving stone paths winding throughout the garden. A traditional potager garden is bordered by hedges, but simpler gardens in smaller spaces can also be designed in a potager style.