If you have a little bit of backyard space you can devote to gardening, you might want to consider planting a vegetable garden at your home. Home-grown vegetables taste a lot better than those you can buy in grocery stores, and you will enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from growing your own veggies in the back yard. Here are some tips to help you get started planning your new vegetable garden.
Pick the Right Place
Choose a space in your yard that gets enough sun. If possible, however, do not choose an area that is always in direct sunlight, as this will burn up your plants easily. Ideally, you are looking for several hours a day with good sunlight, as well as a few with shade.
Block Off Enough Space
Use garden stakes and strings to block off your space before you go any further. This will let you see what your garden will look like in terms of area. Be sure to give yourself enough space to plant the vegetables you are most interested in working with.
Build Raised Beds
Rake up soil or bring in gardening soil from another source to raise the land above its natural level. It should be flat on top and fit within the boundaries you set out with your garden string. If you like, at this point, you can block off the areas even more with some simple planks of wood from a home renovation store.
Research What Grows When
Different vegetables grow at different times of the year depending on the climate where you live. You cannot plant them at the wrong time and expect them to grow, so do some research to find out what you can expect to grow when. This can help you choose what to focus on first, and what you might change later.
Sketch Out Your Space
Finally, sketch out the space you have built to scale. Try to decide which parts of your raised beds will be devoted to which types of vegetables. This will give you something to go by when you head out to do your actual planting.
When you follow the tips listed above, you will be able to plan out the perfect vegetable garden to fit your space, no matter what kind of a yard you are working with. Be as creative as you like when planning the layout and variety you want to design for your outdoor space.