Make a Small Vegetable Garden

Designing a backyard garden is easier than it sounds. Start simple and add to the backyard landscape as time goes on.

Garden Bed

Choose a sunny location to put in a new garden bed. Mowing the lawn first makes digging easier. Choose two or three companion plants for the bed. Companion plants are plants that do well when planted near each other. Companion plants like the same types of soil and often one companion will deter the pest that wants to eat the other companion. Carrots, tomatoes and basil all do well together. Broccoli, cabbage, and thyme planted together will make a nice vegetable garden bed.

Use a four tine pitchfork to dig up a small patch for a garden bed. This is done by placing one foot on the top of the tines section of the pitchfork, and pressing into the grass and soil. After the tines are in the ground, push the handle down so that the tines push the patch of grass up. Dig down a foot or two to start a garden bed. Depending upon the quality and condition of the backyard soil, it is best to purchase high quality topsoil with which to fill the hole for the garden bed.

A garden bed does not need to be a carefully measured rectangle; it simply needs to be large enough to plant vegetables in. Beginning and hobby gardeners are most likely to enjoy success if they start small.

Topsoil

Purchase high-quality topsoil from a gardener’s supply center to fill in the garden bed. Bags of topsoil are screened to remove any weeds or seeds, and best quality topsoils have compost added. Topsoil and potting soil are two different things; do not use them interchangeably. Potting soil is for use flower pots and container gardens.

Topsoil is a better choice than simply using dirt available in the yard because dirt may be full of weed seeds. Also, some areas are full of clay-like or sand-like dirt that will hinder vegetable plant growth.

Vegetable Garden Seeds

Plant seeds directly into the garden bed after any chance of frost in the area has passed.

The alternative to seeds is purchasing young plants at garden supply centers and transplanting them directly into the new garden bed.

Garden Edging

Garden edging, or a low border or fence around the garden bed, is not essential but some prefer the look and feel of edging. Edging may be as simple as a narrow log placed on each side of the garden bed or simple 2 x 4s screwed together.

Fancy, decorative edging is a choice that will dress up the garden bed. Some edging is made to look like iron fences, others like rock or slate.

Raised Bed Gardening

Building a raised bed is quite different from a simple garden bed. Raised beds are built above the ground. They are usually lined with weed block and similar to very large containers.

By starting with a simple hole in the ground, beginning and hobby gardeners get a feel for gardening without becoming overwhelmed with technical details. For personal enjoyment, start a simple vegetable garden.