If you are going to put all of the work and sweat into planting and caring for a vegetable garden, you want to reap the rewards with a bumper crop. And the first step to a successful harvest is vegetable garden designs that will create beds where plants can grow together harmoniously and receive all the necessary nutrients to keep them healthy and happy. Many new gardeners do not put the necessary forethought into their vegetable garden designs. They simply head to the local nursery, purchase a few packets of seeds and some soil and hope that Mother Nature takes her course. However, with the proper planning, you can ensure that your veggie plants will grow to the bountiful harvest you are hoping for.

Location, Location!

It may be a key factor in real estate, but it is an important aspect of vegetable garden designs as well. Why? The primary reason is sufficient sunlight, which is an essential of a healthy garden. There is absolutely no way to make up for a lack of sunlight, so make sure that the plot of ground that you choose gets sufficient sun all day long. This may mean monitoring the area for a number of days to ensure that different times of day do not end up with too much shade for your plants. Generally, an area away from fencing and your house is the best bet so that nothing impedes the direct sunlight that your crops will require.

Living in Harmony

By combining different types of plants with care, you can help to ensure that your vegetable garden design will reap results all season long. By planting two crops together that harvest at different times, you can get maximum use of your space. It is also a good idea to plant cooler weather crops, like lettuce, next to a taller crop, like corn, that will offer a bit of shade against a beating hot afternoon sun. Another popular choice in vegetable garden designs today is to forgo the straight, neat rows in favor of bands or sections of plant. This will enable your plants to pollinate more easily, resulting in a larger harvest. It will also make it easier for you to feed and care for individual crops without tiptoeing through rows and trying to ensure that certain fertilizers only make it to particular plants.

While your vegetable garden is primarily functional in purpose, you can also create a vegetable garden design that will be pleasing to the eye. Add some color with marigolds and sunflowers that will also attract the bees to your space, or place some fragrant herbs strategically throughout. By putting some thought into your vegetable garden design before you begin planting, you will have a space that is pretty as well as bountiful.