- A good location for the garden site is where it gets at least six to eight hours of sunshine each day. Morning sun is the best for the vegetable garden. Beginning gardens should consider spaces not normally thought of as garden sites. A patio is perfect for growing lettuce in a container. Cherry tomatoes grown in with flowers add a splash of red. Hot peppers grown in clay pots can be lined along side the driveway. Vegetable garden plans do not need to be limited to the back yard.
- The local extension office will test the soil for any gardener who takes in a sample. The soil in a vegetable garden should have good drainage. A rich soil, called loam, is made up of clay, sand, and organic material. If the garden soil contains too much sand, adding organic material and top soil improves the quality. Amendments also improve soil with too much clay. By adding sand and peat moss or organic material, the soil becomes much more beneficial to the plants.
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Traditional gardens are planted in rows. It is not necessary to follow tradition when making vegetable garden plans. A popular method called square foot gardening divides the garden space into 12-inch by 12-inch sections. Each section contains a certain number of plants. Large plants, like tomatoes, are planted one per space. Lettuce and other small plants require less room and can be planted two or more to a space.
Another design includes planting a mixture of herbs, flowers and vegetables in the same garden area. Taller plants, like corn, grow well with pole beans. Herbs grown in containers thrive when placed around the vegetable garden. Certain herbs act as natural pest control and both gardeners and plants benefit from this type of planning.
