Vegetable Garden

When I was young, my parents offered me a tiny plot of ground in our backyard for my own garden. That first season, I grew carnations, tomatoes and cucumbers. The spark was ignited. I've been gardening ever since, wherever I've lived; Colorado, California and here in Vermont. After 30 years, I continue to learn about and experiment with new vegetable varieties and plant combinations. I make discoveries every season. But over the years I've settled on a garden layout that utilizes three-foot-wide raised beds. It is, I think, the key to beautiful and productive gardens. 

First, I'm going to review the essentials of a vegetable garden, then I'll describe how I make my raised beds. I believe that if you follow these directions, you'll be well on your way to an abundant harvest and an enjoyable gardening season. 
Choose a Sunny Location

There's no better way to start than by choosing a sunny spot for your garden. Most vegetables need six to eight hours of direct sun a day for best results. Leafy greens like spinach and lettuce can thrive with a bit less. As you assess your yard this winter, remember that the deciduous trees that are leafless now will cast shadows as the seasons progress. 

If possible, locate the garden so that access to and from the kitchen is easy and convenient. It's best if you can view the garden from a window. When the garden is easy to see and reach, you are more apt to notice what needs to be tended and to take full advantage of the harvest. 

The ideal garden location has loose soil that drains well. If your soil isn't perfect, you can improve it over time by adding organic matter such as compost.
Make the Garden the Right Size

A 20- by 20-foot garden gives you room to grow a wide range of crops, including some tasty "space hogs" such as corn and winter squash. A 12- by 16-foot plot is sufficient for a garden sampler with a variety of greens, some herbs, a few tomatoes and peppers, beans, cucumbers and even edible flowers such as nasturtiums for garnishes. By growing plants in succession and using three-foot-wide beds with 18-inch paths, you should have plenty of luscious vegetables for fresh eating and extras for friends. 

Use the following plan as a guideline, substituting crops to suit your own tastes. I always include flowers in my garden because they are beautiful and a joy to cut and bring indoors. Flowers also attract pollinating insects to the garden. 

Vegetable Garden Tips

TIPS FOR VEGETABLES:

Mulch rosemary, sage and thyme plants and give celery plants a final earthing.

Cut down faded asparagus foliage and compost or burn it. Mulch beds with chopped leaves to protect crowns over the winter.

Mulch late-maturing carrots to continue harvesting them into the winter months.

Feed Rhubarb plants with one inch of organic compost. Remove leaves after they are killed by frost then mulch roots with straw.

Dig up winter cabbages. Cut off stumps and place their heads on shelves in a dry, airy shed.

Clear old runner bean stems and leaves and place on a compost heap.

Protect late cauliflower from frost by bending one or two leaves over the curds.

Harvest leeks using a garden fork to dig them up. Trim off roots and remove soil.

Continue to harvest brussels sprouts as buttons become firm.

Don't be tempted to retain potato tubers for replanting next year. They are very likely to be infected by viruses and will not produce a good crop.