Vegetable garden layout is the plan that decides how productive your garden will be: where the beds go, how wide they are, which crops sit next to each other, and how the sun moves across the plot through the day. A good layout makes every job easier — watering, weeding, harvesting — and a bad one makes the garden hard to work and less productive. This guide covers the practical layout decisions: bed size and shape, paths, rows, sun mapping, grouping crops, and rotation, so you can plan a vegetable garden that works as well as it looks.
Start by watching the sun. Most vegetables need at least six hours of direct sun a day, and eight or more is better for fruiting crops such as tomatoes and peppers. Map the sun before you build anything: note which parts of the plot are sunny at 9 am, at noon and at 4 pm, and where shadows from trees, fences and buildings fall. Put the vegetable beds in the sunniest part of the plot, and keep tall crops on the north side of the garden — in the northern hemisphere — so they do not shade shorter crops. In the southern hemisphere, reverse this: tall crops go on the south side. Our garden planning guide covers sun mapping in more detail, and the garden planner can help you sketch the plot.
Bed size and paths
Raised beds are the most practical layout for most vegetable gardens. Make beds no wider than about 1.2 metres so you can reach the middle from either side without stepping on the soil, and make them any length that suits the plot — 2.4 metres is a convenient size. Leave paths at least 45 cm wide between beds, and wider — 60–90 cm — on main paths where you use a wheelbarrow. Paths of gravel, wood chips or brick stay dry and weed-free, while grass paths need mowing. Keep beds level and orient them north–south where possible, so both sides get sun through the day. Use the raised bed soil calculator to work out how much soil you need, and the square foot garden planner to plan planting in small beds. If you garden on a slope, build beds across the slope, not down it, so water and soil do not wash away. Our raised bed gardening guide covers construction.
Rows, spacing and grouping
Plant in rows or blocks, not scattered at random. Rows make weeding, watering and harvesting easier, and they make spacing consistent. Follow the spacing on the seed packet, but remember that spacing is for mature plants — sow or plant at the recommended distance and thin seedlings to the final spacing. Group crops by family and by need: plant the brassica family — cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower — together, the tomato family — tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes — together, and the legume family — beans and peas — together, because rotation and pest control are organised by family. Group thirsty crops such as cucumbers and zucchini near the water supply, and put drought-tolerant crops further away. Put tall crops such as sweetcorn, sunflowers and climbing beans on the north side so they do not shade the rest, and put low crops such as lettuce and carrots on the sunny south side. Interplant fast crops between slow ones: sow radishes or lettuce between rows of tomatoes or cabbage and harvest them before the larger plants need the space.
Companion planting and succession
Companion planting — growing certain plants together for mutual benefit — is a useful layout tool. Marigolds among tomatoes and other vegetables attract beneficial insects and may help deter some pests. Basil near tomatoes is a classic pairing, and nasturtiums act as a trap crop for aphids, drawing them away from other plants. Our companion planting chart gives pairings for common vegetables. Succession planting is just as important: sow a small batch of fast crops every two to three weeks so new plants are always coming along, and replant a bed as soon as a crop finishes rather than leaving it empty. Our succession planting guide explains the timing, and the seed starting calculator helps with sowing dates. Plan for the whole year, not just spring: sow winter greens in late summer and autumn so beds stay productive after the summer crops finish.
Crop rotation
Crop rotation is the most important long-term layout decision. Do not grow the same family in the same bed year after year, because soil-borne pests and diseases build up and nutrients become unbalanced. A simple four-bed rotation works well: bed one for legumes (beans and peas), bed two for brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale), bed three for roots (carrots, beetroot, onions), and bed four for the tomato family (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes). Each year, move each group one bed along. Our crop rotation guide explains the rotation in detail. Keep a simple plan — a sketch of the beds with what was planted where each year — so you can rotate correctly. If space is very tight, at least avoid growing the same family in the same spot two years running, and add plenty of compost to keep the soil healthy.
Water, compost and access
Put the water supply where you can reach it easily, and consider drip irrigation for beds — it saves water and keeps leaves dry, and our drip irrigation guide explains how to set it up. Put a compost bin near the vegetable garden so waste goes straight in; our compost bins guide explains the options, and composting basics explains how to make compost. Keep tools nearby in a shed or store, and make sure the main path is wide enough for a wheelbarrow. Think about the gardener as well as the plants: a seat in the shade, a tap with a hose, and a place to wash produce make the garden far more pleasant to work in. If you are unsure what your soil needs, test it — our soil pH testing guide explains how — and check your local extension service for local soil and layout advice.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is beds too wide to reach the middle without stepping on the soil, which compacts it and damages roots. The second is putting tall crops on the sunny side, shading everything behind them. The third is paths too narrow for a wheelbarrow. The fourth is growing the same crop in the same bed year after year, which builds up pests and disease. The fifth is planting everything at once in spring and then having empty beds in summer — sow little and often instead. The sixth is ignoring the sun map and putting beds in shade. And the seventh is no rotation plan at all, so you cannot remember what grew where last year. A sketch on paper, kept from year to year, prevents all of these.
Frequently asked questions
How wide should vegetable beds be?
No wider than about 1.2 metres, so you can reach the middle from either side without stepping on the soil. Paths should be at least 45 cm wide, and 60–90 cm on main paths where you use a wheelbarrow. Narrower beds are easier to work and keep the soil loose.
Which direction should vegetable beds face?
Orient beds north–south where possible, so both sides get sun through the day. Put tall crops on the north side in the northern hemisphere — the south side in the southern hemisphere — so they do not shade shorter crops.
How do I plan crop rotation in a small garden?
Use a simple four-bed rotation by family: legumes, brassicas, roots, and the tomato family, moving each group one bed along every year. Keep a sketch of what was planted where each year. Our crop rotation guide explains the details.
What should I plant next to tomatoes?
Basil is the classic companion for tomatoes, and marigolds attract beneficial insects. Avoid planting tomatoes where tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or potatoes grew last year, since they share pests and diseases. Our companion planting chart has more pairings.
How do I keep beds productive all year?
Use succession sowing — a small batch every two to three weeks — interplant fast crops between slow ones, and replant beds as soon as a crop finishes. Sow winter greens in late summer so beds stay productive after summer crops end. Check your local extension service for sowing dates in your area.