Designing Raised Beds for Vegetable Growth

You've decided what to plant, and had a Thanksgiving dinner-sized brouhaha when your dad learned you weren't sowing pumpkins. But what sort of vegetable garden design do you need for raised gardens? Will a plain rectangular box work or can you use, say, a horseshoe or galactic model raised vegetable garden?

If you want a stacked or tiered vegetable garden, you may crowd your veggies in limited space. A tiered flower or herb garden may work better--herb garden design lends itself to tiered gardens. Many raised garden suppliers sell a vegetable garden kit. Gardening experts like to create paths between your potatoes and parsnips--you can move about more freely with a vegetable garden design with walkways and concentrate on one area at a time. With a tiered vegetable garden, you may not be able to give individual attention to your plants.

In addition, some veggies, such as asparagus, need extra elevation, but others don't. A two-tier step vegetable garden design may work best for asparagus. Some vegetables need height, others need extra space and depth, especially if your vegetable garden design has to accommodate city asphalt. Corn and tomatoes, for example, require a raised vegetable garden that is at least 18" deep if you're planting your beds on a city backlot.

Now that you've decided on your vegetable garden shape, you can avoid arguments over the proper way to grow your delicious fresh vegetables...but Dad is still not going to let you forget about those pumpkins.