Starting a raised bed garden is one of the smartest ways to grow your own vegetables with less weeding, better drainage, and more control over your soil. If you’re a beginner, planning your layout before planting makes all the difference. Here are ten simple raised bed garden layout ideas and what to plant first for a fast, foolproof harvest.
1. The Classic Salad Garden
Fill one raised bed with fast-growing greens like lettuce, spinach, and arugula. Add radishes and green onions in the gaps for continual picking within a few weeks.
2. The Kitchen Herb Corner
Dedicate a smaller bed to essentials like basil, parsley, chives, and thyme. Herbs thrive in well-drained soil and reward you with fresh flavor all season long.
3. The Square Foot Garden
Divide your bed into one-foot squares using twine or wooden frames. Plant one main crop per square—carrots, beets, or bush beans—to maximize every inch.
4. The Three Sisters Method
Try the traditional combination of corn, beans, and squash. Corn supports the beans, and the broad squash leaves shade out weeds.
5. The Compact Kitchen Combo
In a single 4×4 bed, plant one tomato in the center, basil around it, and marigolds along the edges to deter pests and add color.
6. The Pollinator Paradise
Mix flowers like calendula, zinnias, and lavender with edibles. You’ll attract bees that boost yield while brightening your space.
7. The Root Crop Bed
Deep, airy soil is perfect for carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Start these early for speedy harvests and reseed between rows for continuous supply.
8. The Early Starter Bed
Plant peas, spinach, and kale as soon as the soil can be worked. These cool-weather crops give you a head start before summer heat arrives.
9. The Space-Saver Vertical Setup
Use trellises for cucumbers or pole beans at the back of the bed and shorter crops like lettuce in front for an easy-to-harvest design.
10. The All-Season Rotation Plan
After harvesting early greens, follow with quick crops like bush beans, then fall plantings of kale or garlic. Your raised bed stays productive year-round.
Start small, observe what thrives, and adjust your layouts each season. A well-planned raised bed garden can keep your kitchen stocked and your gardening confidence growing fast.
