Planning your vegetable patch

Planning Your Vegetable Patch

Planning your vegetable patch for the coming spring is one of the most exciting parts of the gardening year. Though you might not always stick to your plan, having a solid foundation means you'll be more likely to have a steady crop.

I always garden with diversity in mind, which means that while I might focus on some staple crops, like tomatoes, courgettes and garlic, I will interplant these with quick-growing crops, like radishes and lettuce. I always include annual flowers at the front of each bed too. These provide forage for pollinators, and by choosing edible flowers, like calendula and nasturtium, I'm maximising the growing space as well.

Planning for the Seasons as Well as the Space

Sketching your veg beds is one of the easiest ways to visualise your space. I like to draw two versions of each bed, one for winter and spring, and a second for spring and summer. Planning for the seasons as well as the space means I know what I'll be replacing my crops with once they come out, so no time or space will be wasted.

Once you've sketched out your beds, add in the key crops that you want to grow that season, for example, broad beans in winter and spring, followed by tomatoes in spring and summer. Then have a think about any companion planting you would like to do, such as growing some basil with your tomatoes.

It's also important to include any perennial crops that will be staying in your beds all year round. If you've got strawberry plants, they will need plenty of sun, so make sure your seasonal crops won't overshadow them.

Other key things to consider include:

• Which parts of your veg beds get the most sun and which get the most shade? Once you know this, you can put sun lovers like tomatoes in the prime position, while leafy greens can go in a shadier spot at the back of the bed.
• Garden features, such as walls, fences or overhanging buildings, should feature on your map too, as these might be casting shadows or providing shelter, so need to be taken into consideration.
• If you want to, add in further details, like crop spacing, the number of plants you need and any particular varieties you want to grow.

My Favourite Seed Suppliers

These suppliers are all organic and UK based, and some are even local to me. It's worth having a hunt around your local area and supporting suppliers that are local to you.

• Vital seeds
• Tamar organics
• Real seeds
• Seed co-op
• Pennard plants
• Garden Organic Heritage Seed Library
• Jekka's herbs
• Organic gardening catalogue
• Suffolk herbs

Your Assignment

Bed 1

Bed 2

Bed 3