Time spent planning a vegetable garden saves time and effort later

Next combine your design with planning a vegetable garden to encompass your needs and to make life easier.

Consider what you want to do and review the following to discover both your options and needs;

Check your situation;

• how much space do you have?
• will your veg garden be at home or down the allotment?
• what soil do you have and what state is it in?
• does the plot have an established weed problem or is it clear?
• ...

Review your options/ needs;

• what do you want to grow?
• how much do you want/ need to grow?
• choose to produce what is more expensive to buy
• choose veg where flavour is everything
• decide what tools do you need to grow your veg?
• ...

Remember some keys to success;

• assess your site, the slope, aspect and especially the soil
• plan if you will use a traditional or bed system to grow your veg
• plan your paths to make access easier to tend your veg?
• plan your layout
• plan your soil management
• plan your vegetable crop rotation
• plan how you will manage those dreaded weeds
• plan your first season's list of vegetables
• work within the time you have available, you can do more later

Visit the site for your vegetable garden and see what fits in. Take measurements and draw some outline ideas to take home and do the fun planning. Combine the ideas and refine the options into a plan that meets your needs.

Now you should develop the all important layout for your vegetable garden - the virtual reality bit!

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