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Gardening can be an extremely rewarding activity in so many ways. It can be fun and fulfilling and there is something primordial about working with the earth and the elements to create a thing of beauty and bounty. It can also be rewarding in a very tangible way. Vegetable gardening yields an edible crop as its end result and food has real material value.

However those new to both gardening and growing vegetables in particular may find that first foray into creating a veg plot a little daunting. Here are a few simple tips designed to make the garden planning process simpler:

Tip 1

Consider what type of vegetable garden you should create. There are several options available and the one you eventually choose will depend to a large extent on the amount of land you have available and the amount of time you wish to devote to your new activity. The traditional method of cultivating a vegetable garden used to be to plant in long, well ordered rows, which is fine if you have a large area to use. The drawbacks of this method are that because you have to walk on the plot your soil is constantly becoming compacted which leads to a lot of digging. This is both labour intensive and also releases valuable nutrients from the soil.

Many home gardeners now opt for raised beds, which is an excellent method to employ, particularly for those with limited space. The advantages of this approach are that you can concentrate compost and fertiliser onto the growing area and reduce waste, improve drainage and maintain warmth by building the bed up with added organic matter like manure.

You may like the idea of a potager style garden which can be both productive and ornamental, mixing floral beauty with herbs and vegetables.

Tip 2

Location is an important consideration when planning your veg garden. Consider where you live, when is the last date you can expect to have frost etc. Gardening climates are generally broken down into three different zones; cold, temperate and tropical/sub-tropical. In the Northern hemisphere the cold zone would be considered those areas with freezing temperatures during winter months, temperate is where frost can still occur in the winter months but it doesn't snow and the summers are hot and long and tropical/sub-tropical where frost and snow are unheard of.

Tip 3

Where you site your plot should require some thought too. Vegetable beds have often been consigned to the rear of our gardens, hidden away while the flowers take centre stage. Yet vegetable plants can be beautiful in their own right. They will also need sunlight and therefore will not thrive if they are consigned to dark, shady spots. Make notes on where the sun shines in your garden at different times in the day. Digital cameras and mobile phones are great for this purpose; take photographs on sunny days and you will have visual record to assist you in the planning process. Different plants have different requirements so take that into consideration when planning your vegetable garden. Sometimes, especially with smaller gardens, choice may be restricted. I live on a hill which is exposed to wicked westerly winds and I have had no option but to site my vegetable plot under these conditions. Whilst I would say that it is clearly not ideal I still produce abundant harvests of edible crops throughout the year.

Tip 4

Keep a diary devoted to your gardening to help plan your sowing and planting throughout the growing year. This can also be used to schedule other related activities such as seed ordering and bed preparing etc. Consult a seed sowing and planting guide and decide which vegetables you want to grow and make an appointment in your diary to sow the seeds. This memoir will assist with things like crop rotation too. Gardening, like any other endeavour benefits from a little organisation and discipline.

Tip 5

Order the seeds you need well in advance of the growing season. Seed catalogues are great for thumbing through on cold January days when winter seems as if it is going to last forever. Pouring over these brochures fills you with a sense of anticipation for the warmth of the growing season to come and is an essential part of the whole planning process. In addition to the seeds make sure you have any equipment you will need in place. The basics are garden tools, seed trays, seed pots, compost etc.

Tip 6

Document your progress in your garden diary throughout the year. Record when you sow seed, plant out, prepare a bed etc. Keep note of which varieties perform well or otherwise. Look upon the diary as an essential garden tool. I have been using a garden diary for years now and I have found it to be as important and useful to me as my trowel!

Growing your own fresh organic fruit and vegetables is a wonderful and profitable pastime and there is much to learn even for those who may consider themselves experts. Planning is an important aspect of any undertaking and horticulture is no exception to this rule. So before anyone breaks soil it is essential to give some thought to the preparation and development of your vegetable plot. If the activity is broken down into the simple chunks listed here then the creation of a continually productive vegetable garden should be less off-putting and more fun.