Top 10 Design Considerations When Starting Your Produce Garden

Starting your own vegetable and produce garden is an exciting time for any green thumb, even more so for those looking to step into the world of self sustainability. And while many successful veggie gardens are started by simply tending to the soil and throwing some seeds in the ground, we’re going to focus on steps that you can take to create a garden that is not only functional but looks great! Here are our top 10 tips!

A lot of the long term success of your garden will rely on choosing the right position in your garden. Most of our produce, fruit, veggies and herbs, prefer a north facing position, with a north south orientation. That means you will be able to maximise the sun right throughout the year. It also means that if you’re going to be planting fruit trees, or any taller plants that they should be located on the south side of your area so that they don’t cast a shadow.

If you have a garden that is flourishing, it’s important you make sure your produce garden compliments the existing space and won’t negatively impact its future growth. For example, if you plan to introduce fruit trees that you plan to grow to approximately 3m, this may be block some of the existing shrubs from absorbing the sun that they have become accustomed to. 

From a design point of view, it’s critical to think about the style and layout of your new area and how you can best tie it in with the existing. If you have an ultra modern garden with clean lines and edges, it may look odd to introduce a more rustic produce area using recycled materials and borders that aren’t clearly defined. We like to reduce the amount of different materials and colour schemes in the garden, and instead focus on 3-4 types rather then half the catalogue of your local hardware store!

While we are aiming to create the best looking garden as possible, functionality is still the key focus of creating a produce garden. We may have to compromise on some aesthetics to ensure it will be viable and healthy. There’s no point having a garden that looks great from the outside, but won’t be able to sustain a healthy ecosystem. When considering the functionality of the garden, think about access to your area, proximity to the house and services, the size (whether it will be too big to manage, or too small to grow anything significant) and longevity.

A few of these points are explained in further detail below. 

If you don’t know where to begin when designing your space, start with this simple exercise. Write a list of must haves, maybes/ if possible, and definitely nots.

This will kickstart your design and will start to clear your thoughts. Your must haves are things that your garden will be designed around. The maybes are items that you would really like in the garden, but would be willing to leave out because they weren’t going to suit the space. And the definitely no’s are the items and elements that you don’t want to see in your garden, for whatever reason that may be!

Don’t get bogged down on the little details in this exercise, but rather the main structural elements and features, along with the main plants and trees you hope to grow. 

Here is an example of a list and some explanations behind each item

Must haves:

• Lemon tree
• Orange tree
• Raised garden beds- Need these because 
• Compost bin- want to reduce our household waste 
• Water tap and irrigation - we go away on holidays regularly and need to ensure the garden is watered
• Passionfruit vine

Maybes

• An arbor- would like to grow grapevines up and arbor, but may not have space or be in the budget
• Olive tree
• Apple tree- only if space allows
• Rosemary
• A beehive- May not be able to find the right orientation for the hive
• Concrete garden planters- if machine access is possible

Definitely Not!

• Timber garden beds - don’t like the look
• Mint - dont like the smell!
• Too much shade
• Plastics and metals- would prefer more natural, earthy tones and materials 

Using the list from above, you should be able to create a short list of ideas which will point you in the right direction for the materials you want to use. 

Using the above example, the preference was for natural materials and earthy tones to create raised garden beds. 

So this will point you in the direction of things like bricks, concrete and rocks/ boulders. 

You will need to decide if these materials will be able to fulfil what you are trying to achieve and are within your budget

It’s one thing to plant an olive tree when it’s 1m tall in a 20cm pot. It’s another thing to understand what that tree will look like in 5, 10 and 20 years, along with its growing potential.

So it’s very important to do your research to better understand your plants, and to ask yourself a range of questions, such as:

• Does it require a lot of water year round?
• If I grow my it in a pot or planter, will it quickly outgrow the pot size?
• How big can this tree grow if left unpruned?
• Does it respond well to pruning?
• Does it require full sun or can it deal with some shade?
• How far apart should I plant my trees and shrubs?
• Does it like to be paired with another tree or plant? And is it self pollinating?
• Is the growth vigorous, and will it negatively impact other plants around it?

If you’re unable to visualise your future space, and don’t spend the time putting a solid plan together, consideration of scale, heights and levels can all get overlooked.

When talking about scale, put simply, this is how balanced things look. Often the eye will pick up on something that is not to scale because it looks ‘odd’ or ‘out of place’ eg. The garden beds are 1 metre tall but only 300mm wide in a large area, meaning they look too tall and skinny. 

When designing your garden, it’s important to vary your heights through a number of elements, including shrubs, trees, and structures.

Try to categorise your plants and elements into small (0cm-75cm), medium (75cm-1.5m) and large (1.5m and above), so you can start to layer these heights throughout your space. It will make things feel more balanced, adds year round interest and ensures things will not look too empty or overcrowded.

Your levels are crucial to consider, both for access and functionality. You may need to think about steps and ramps if there is a slight gradient, or you may need to introduce some retaining walls if you get too close to neighbours boundaries. Having your garden beds raised may also help if you have trouble bending over, or if the ground level retains too much water and moisture. 

Often the little details can get overlooked in the rush of putting your garden together. Try to think about all the ways you currently garden, and how you hope to garden in the future. 

Ask yourself things like:

• Will a wheelbarrow or garden waste bin fit between my garden beds?
• Do I need a shed to store my tools? 
• Do I need to fence off the area to protect from my pets?
• Do I need a solid path for all ages to use, or will pebbles and stepping pavers suffice?

Irrigating your garden is going to give it a great chance of thriving and coping with our hot summer days! Irrigation when installed correctly will actually save you water in the long run by distributing the water more evenly and making sure the soil remains at the right moisture levels. Its even better option if you can connect this system to your water tank!

If this isn’t within your budget, make sure there is a water tap nearby, and again, if you can use collected rainwater or clean grey water, that will reduce your water bill and means you’re developing your own reliable water source.

All your hard work can quickly come undone without understanding your soil. Soil testing kits are an easy way to understand the pH levels of your soil, but simple assessments with a shovel and your hands are just as effective. 

There are many resources online to help assess your soil, but start with taking a  shovel and digging a small holes to see what is hiding beneath the surface.

Sandy soil is free draining, so you won’t have an issue with overwatering, however you will need to add in plenty of great organic matter to ensure you retain moisture and promote root growth. Whereas heavy, clay soils will need to be broken up, tended to with clay additives and organic matter, before you begin. If you are on a rocky site with soil you are unable to work, it may be easier to install raised garden beds with drainage levels at the base.

And, a bonus tip

Think ahead! How will my garden look in 10 years time
The last thing you want to happen is for you garden to turn to a mess after a season or two, becoming too hard to manage, with no consideration for the future. 

Try your best to create a vision of what your garden will look like in years to come. 
Imagine stepping out from your back door, walking under a vine covered arbor, through to a mini orchard where you can pick apples, while the rest of your family rummages around the veggie patch, tending to your worm farm and turning over the compost bin.  Your aim is to create a garden that will not only allow for growth and change, but will thrive over the years. And thorough planning along with seeking professional advice is going to hold you in good stead.

Remember, gardens are a living, breathing, changing, marvellous ecosystem, and we don’t always get it right. Above all else, it’s important to learn from both your successes and mistakes in the garden, to keep working towards the goals you’ve set and the lifestyle you’re trying to create. 

Feel free to get in touch with us if you need some design advice, if you are looking for an on site consultation or just want to bounce around some of your own ideas!

Good luck, and happy gardening.