What to Know About Adding or Renovating an Edible Garden (2024)

Now is the time to start planning your garden if you want to grow your own vegetables this year. Whether it’s your first attempt at an edible garden or you’re revamping an existing space, consider ideas that will make your yard more functional and beautiful. Then put your vision toward an edible garden that fits your needs and lifestyle.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about adding or renovating an edible garden, including where to put it, whether to use raised beds, what to grow and how to keep everything healthy.

Robert Harwood Architect

Pick a Spot for Your Edible Garden

Most vegetables do best when they get six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day. Look out for maturing trees and shrubs or new construction that could turn a sunny space in the yard into a more shaded area.

Also think about whether the location is easy to reach, both for tending during the growing season and harvesting once things are ripe. Decide if you’d like your garden closer to the house or near a shed or water source.

The good news is that edible gardens have become popular features in landscape designs, showing up in side and front yards and taking center stage in backyards, rather than being relegated to a hidden corner.

12 Tips to Help You Start an Edible Garden

Offshoots, Inc.

Offshoots

Determine Your Growing Goals

Take an honest look at what you want to grow, how much space you have and the time you have to tend the garden, as this will influence the type of setup and plants that will work best for you. If you’re new to gardening, it’s wise to start small and expand as you gain experience.

How to Plan Your Edible Garden

Artisan Landscapes

Whom to Hire

If your renovation is simple — slightly changing the size or shape of in-ground beds or moving existing planters — you’ll likely be able to manage the project on your own. For something a little (or a lot) more ambitious, seek out a professional.

A landscape architect or designer can help if your project is part of an overall outdoor remodel, you’re not sure how to incorporate an edible garden into your current design or your plans are large or complicated.

A carpenter or woodworker can help build and install raised beds or simple fencing. A landscape contractor will work on more complicated construction projects or those involving concrete and masonry.

For advice on what to plant, ask your local nurseries for recommendations. You can also check locally for garden designers and consultants who specialize in growing edibles.

Work with a landscape designer near you

ODS Architecture

Gather Ideas and Refine Your Edible Garden Design Style

Give your edible garden the style it deserves. Matching the garden beds to your landscape and home’s architecture will tie everything together and make the garden a standout part of your space.

Raised beds don’t need to be uniform. Adding one or more tiers along one or two sides of a standard box will add some interest and give you a great spot for lower-growing vegetables that might otherwise get overlooked or a deeper bed for “underground” crops such as carrots and potatoes.

Benjamin Guilardi Realtor.

Benjamin Guilardi Realtor

Look for ways to fit a garden bed into an unexpected space. You can also set a raised bed against a fence or wall and use the vertical space for growing crops that need support, such as beans and peas. In either case, make sure the bed is narrow enough that you’ll be able to reach across for harvesting.

Landscape Projects, Inc.

Landscape Projects

If your yard has a slope, create level planting areas by adding a series of terraces that step up or down the hill. Retaining walls will hold each level in place. Add access points for each level, either in front of or behind the garden bed.

Environmental Designs, Inc.

Environmental Designs

Symmetrical garden beds set in straight rows have a classic appeal, but don’t overlook other options for your layout, such as this collection of round beds. Other variations include L-shaped designs, a square or rectangular layout with a small entry to the interior or a maze-like pattern.

For an in-ground garden, create a curved or free-form pattern to add interest to the space.

Drip Landscape and Tree Service

Think About Layout

Make sure the garden beds you create are easy to work in and harvest from. You should be able to easily reach into the center of the space to care for the plants and access the vegetables when ripe. A standard bed size is 4 by 6 feet, but you can adapt the design to fit your needs.

The space around the beds is also important. Paths should be wide enough to navigate easily. Ideally, you would want an area wide enough to fit a cart or wheelbarrow.

What you use for these perimeter paths depends on how much maintenance you can handle, how permanent you want them to be and what fits with your style.

Grass, gravel, mulch, decomposed granite (DG) and other permeable materials work well and also reduce stormwater runoff. Keep in mind that these materials require maintenance, from mowing and removing weeds to tidying up and replacing gravel.

Concrete or brick paths offer a stable surface but also are more difficult to remove if you want to make changes. Concrete or brick pavers might be a compromise as they can be easily moved.

The Ardent Gardener Landscape Design

Decide on In-Ground or Raised Beds

In-ground and raised beds each have advantages and disadvantages. In addition to your personal preferences, you’ll want to consider growing conditions, such as your soil quality, and where you’ll put your garden — including on a patio or deck.

In-ground beds. An in-ground vegetable plot is easy to establish. Decide where the garden should go, prep the soil and plant. You can adapt the size and shape to fit what you want. Adding a low border or decorative edging will keep it looking contained without hindering access.

Holder Parlette Architecture + Landscapes

Raised beds. Raised beds clearly define each growing spot and present a neat, clean-lined look. It’s easier to reach the plants for providing care, such as feeding and watering, and for harvesting.

Raised beds are also the standard for an accessible garden. Chair-height raised beds bring the garden to the gardener, making it easier for those with limitations as well as anyone who wants to spend more time in the garden.

If you don’t have room for a traditional raised bed or your only growing spot is a patio or deck, turn to planters and containers. Many favorite edibles such as tomatoes, peppers and berries will thrive in a suitable container.

7 Tips to Ensure Success With Raised Bed Gardening

Studio Circ

Studio Circ

Look up for other ways to add gardening space. Low-growing fruits like strawberries and even vegetables such as tomatoes can often be grown in hanging baskets or cages.

Cherry tomatoes can replace flowering plants on an entry arbor. The wall-mounted planters seen here do double duty as a spot for low-growing vegetables and add a bright focal point in the garden.

10 Unexpected Spots for Growing Fruits, Veggies and Herbs at Home

Homer Oatman, AIA

Homer Oatman

Material Options for Raised Beds

You have a number of options for the materials used to make raised beds, each with pluses and minuses.

Wood. The natural look of wood — the most popular option — blends well with any garden or architectural style. It’s long-lasting and easy to adapt to different sizes and shapes.

Look for rot-resistant woods such as black locust, black walnut, cedar, cypress, redwood and white oak. A ledge around a raised bed adds flair and makes a handy spot for resting tools or a basket.

It’s best to stay away from treated woods and toxic stain products when growing edibles to prevent chemicals from leaching into the soil.

Shop for garden beds on Houzz

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Metal. Many gardeners are turning to metal for raised beds for its longevity and rot resistance. Metal also absorbs heat from the sunlight, warming up the soil and extending the growing season.

Thin sheets of dark metal add a contemporary flair. Corrugated metal sheets add more of a rustic feel, especially if paired with wood trim. Stock tanks have moved from the farm to urban and suburban landscapes as easy-to-install raised beds. (Choose a galvanized finish to prevent rusting.)

BE Landscape Design

Masonry. Building your beds out of brick, stone or concrete are even more permanent approaches that complement a range of landscape styles. They can adapt to the terrain and be designed to fit into curved areas. As with metal, brick and especially natural stone also retain heat and keep the soil warmer.

Masonry beds can be low to the ground or relatively tall. If you’re using the masonry as a border, you can dry-set the stones or brick. For taller structures, you’ll want to mortar the materials in place. This will make it harder to remove them in the future, so be sure this is what you want before you commit.

Landscape Design by James Brunton-Smith Limited

Landscape Design by James Brunton-Smith

Concrete beds have a modern feel that fits well with a number of architectural styles. Concrete can be poured in place, giving you a permanent installation. You can also build the beds from concrete blocks, which can be disassembled more easily. If you want the latter, choose newer blocks. Old cinder blocks can leach harmful chemicals into the soil.

Caution: Favorite raised bed options from the past, especially for an eclectic look, have included railroad ties, recycled materials and even old tires. Most experts no longer recommend them for edibles due to the chemicals they release.

Brad Cox, Architect, Inc.

Brad Cox, Architect

Choosing What to Grow

The first rule is to grow what you like to eat, despite how tempting seed catalogs, seed packets and the seedlings at nurseries may look. If you do end up with a surplus or find yourself growing something no one in your family enjoys, consider sharing with your neighbors or local food banks.

Tried-and-true favorites include beets, carrots, green beans, peppers, radishes, squash and tomatoes. Other popular choices are cucumbers, melons, spinach and Swiss chard. Maybe grow a pumpkin or two for fall decorating.

You might also want to branch out. If you love to cook, focus on adding some of your favorite ingredients to the garden, such as a range of peppers, Asian-inspired greens or Mediterranean favorites. Incorporate herbs into your garden as well. If you want to get your kids interested in where their food comes from, try some fast-growing favorites such as green beans and radishes.

Another possibility is to try a themed garden, from a pizza patch for kids to a mix of greens for salads.

8 Surefire Vegetables and Herbs for Beginning Gardeners

Mariani Landscape

Other Considerations for an Edible Garden

Soil. Healthy soil is just as essential as sunshine and water. Even with an established vegetable bed, it’s a good idea to check how healthy your soil is before you plant and refresh it if necessary.

Loam is the ideal soil type for vegetable gardening. It drains well and easily breaks into pieces but doesn’t crumble completely. Light or sandy soils will easily break apart and water will quickly drain away from the plant roots, carrying nutrients with it. Heavy or clay soils drain slowly, holding nutrients in place but causing other problems, such as rot from excess water.

Most vegetable garden plants also want a slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6 or 7. You can check your pH level with a home soil test, usually available at nurseries. You can also look for soil testing labs. Check online or ask at a nursery for recommendations.

You can work compost and organic matter such as manure into the soil before you plant. Having a nearby compost bin or pile will make it easy to continue to add nutrients to the soil throughout the growing season. If your soil conditions are more extreme, you’ll probably want to opt for raised beds.

Runde's Landscape Contractors, Inc.

Runde’s Landscape Contractors

Irrigation. Just as most vegetables want full sun, they also want regular water. Install in-ground or drip watering systems as you prepare the garden beds to save time and effort and ensure your garden’s success. It’s a bonus if you have an outdoor faucet nearby for quick watering tasks and for washing tools, vegetables and fruits.

9 Ways to Be Water-Wise in the Edible Garden

L P

Fencing. A nice border both defines the garden and helps keep out some of the critters that can hurt it. A low fence like this one works well for keeping out dogs and other non-burrowing animals. If you want protection from larger animals such as deer, gophers, squirrels or rabbits, you’ll need to invest in more robust fencing measures.

Metamorphic Design

Potting bench or greenhouse. You might want a nearby potting bench for related garden tasks or a spot to store your tools, twine, pots and labels. A greenhouse or nursery area for starting seeds can be a plus in early spring.

Browse potting benches

Rollins Andrew Interiors

When to add or refresh an edible garden. As with most gardening projects, timing depends on the season and what you want to grow.

Cool-season crops are, as the name suggests, those vegetables that do best during the cooler months of the year; they include lettuce and other leafy greens, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, onions, peas and radishes. You can plant them once the danger of frost has passed and the soil and air temperatures are at least 40°F/4.4°C. You can also replant at the end of summer or in early fall for a second crop.

Warm-season vegetables include perennial favorites such as tomatoes, beans and peppers, along with corn, cucumbers, melons and squash. They can be planted once the soil temperature reaches 50°F/10°C and the air temperature is at least 60°F/15.5°C.

Yancy Interiors + Home, LLC

Yancy Interiors + Home

Prep time. The time it takes to get a garden ready for planting depends on how extensive your changes are.

Reworking an in-ground bed or refreshing existing raised beds is relatively quick, depending on what you need to do to get the soil in shape. Building raised beds or pouring concrete will take longer.

Unless your project is very large and complicated, everything should go relatively quickly compared with many other landscaping projects.

More on Houzz
Read more edible-gardening guides
Find a landscape designer near youShop for gardening tools