Planning a vegetable garden begins long before your spade breaks soil. Start by examining the space you have available for a garden, then determine what vegetables your family will use. Sketch a layout idea on graphing paper so you have a plan to follow when you head outdoors.
Flat Bed
A flat bed garden is a traditional garden layout. The garden can be any size you require, but they are generally rectangular in shape to allow for straight, even-sized rows.

Raised Bed
A raised bed garden is a way for gardeners to overcome infertile native soil. These gardens are built above the ground and filled with a mixture of fertile garden soil, compost and peat. In general, keep raised bed gardens relatively small so they are easy to work in.

Container Gardens
If space is at a premium, container gardening is another layout option. Nearly any vegetable that can grow in a traditional backyard garden can also grow in a container. Container gardens work well indoors or outdoors, and since each vegetable is in a container, this garden layout is also portable and easy to increase or decrease in size.