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Starting a new vegetable garden project or looking to revamp your current setup? We’ve got some great ideas for any size yard.
Square-foot gardening layout – This method is all about efficient use of space. Typically, you’d start with a raised bed that has multiple 4×4 foot boxes with a lattice laid across the top to separate each square foot. You can densely pack these “boxes” with veggies of your choice. This method helps with weed control and is perfect for beginners or small spaces.
Raised beds – Raised beds come in any shape, size, or material. Make sure they’re filled with high quality soil and the necessary additives for what you want to grow. They also need to drain well and are good for areas with poor soil. You can make the bed as high as needed, which make them practical choices for gardeners with limited mobility.
Fitting in the backyard – Your backyard likely serves multiple purposes. Maybe it’s an unwind space for quiet or it’s the favorite run around spot for the kids. Likely, it’s a mixture of entertaining, relaxing, gardening, and BBQing. Backyard gardens sometimes need to be creative to make it work with the other functions of the area, so consider raised beds in particular areas and/or traditional in-ground rows where it makes sense. Think of how you can keep the area protected from running kids, stray balls, or rowdy dogs.
Practice companion planting – This is where you grow plants together for benefits such as protection from pests, winds, or weeds. Larger vegetables can be used around smaller seedlings, and sprawling crops like squash can be used to minimize weed growth around tall crops such as corn. Companion planting can also help keep plants healthy strong, working together to create more yield throughout the growing season.
Homesteading – If you have the room and the time, a homestead garden can be a fulfilling option as you work toward being more self-sufficient. Excess items can be sold or swapped at farmers markets, or you’ll want to get comfortable with canning or freezing certain items. Many homesteaders opt to bring in chickens or bees with the garden too, making the whole project work together. You can have some smaller raised beds close to the home for your commonly used items and place the other crops in traditional in-ground rows farther on your property.
A garden for a chef – Most herbs and veggies taste better when they’re fresh. Consider what you cook with most and plant those items for a delicious continuous supply for your kitchen. Consider a salsa or pizza container where you can grow most of the items needed to make those recipes. You can even plant edible flowers to create a work of art in the garden that can also be brought into your meals. These gardens are great for those with smaller yards because you can choose to only grow what you know you love to eat.
As with any planting project, the key is good soil, drainage, and nutrients. Keep your gardens thriving with high quality compost, soil amendments, and mulch from The Dirt Bag.
