Vegetable gardens have always been very popular as there is nothing better than eating something you have grown yourself. You don’t have to have a large garden to accommodate vegetables or herbs as they can easily be incorporated into the borders. In some of the many designs I have done across Norfolk and Suffolk, gardeners actually prefer to have vegetables rather than plants.
In most designs I use raised beds because these are easier to look after, the soil warms up quicker in spring and they tend to look neater. I use oak landscaping sleepers and they can be either one or two sleepers high. These raised beds are filled with a mixture of compost and Bailey’s allotment and raised bed soil. This helps give the vegetables a really good start.
Ideally, we want three beds to allow for crop rotation on an annual basis but in a small garden having just one or two is definitely better than none. It’s also important to not get carried away and have too many beds as you will end up growing more than you can eat.
The beds don’t have to be the traditional rectangle shape as they can be made to fit any area. However, the normal rule is they should not be more than 120cm wide to allow for easy access on each side. They also need to have wide enough paths between the beds to allow for a wheelbarrow.
As vegetables are grown for the table, it’s important to grow the ones you like. I always ask clients to give me a list of their favourite varieties so I can incorporate them into the scheme. This is the same with fruit trees as everybody’s tastes are different.
Regardless of the amount of space you have, there is always room to design a vegetable garden that will offer you organic produce that you will love to eat for years to come. Please get in touch for a free consultation either by calling 07775 611047 or email [email protected].
