The vegetable garden design for 2022 is finally done! Last year I made some significant changes to the garden. I added a fence around the entire space, stone pathways, wood chip mulch, and an arch trellis. I was surprised I was able to execute exactly what I envisioned in my head. Designing beautiful spaces brings me so much joy. I’m the kind of person who is very visual in my planning. Drawing it out with an actual pen and paper is how I create best.

This year I'm making some small improvements to the design and expanding the fence line a bit more. What's nice is that most of the hard work is already done and laid out for me. All I have to do is wait for warm weather and start planting. I’ll still make a few adjustments here and there as I work on projects, but for the most part, the placement of everything is where it will be.

2022 Vegetable Garden Design Plans

My Garden Style

The style of a garden I'm drawn to is cottage garden meets potager, but with a modern organized look. The garden has structure and is organized but has some rambling, organic elements too like rock beds, natural paths, and bamboo fencing. All the raised beds are unique in style, some made of wood, rock, and stone. I prefer a few garden decor items, I don't like a cluttered look. And of course a few pieces that add meaning and beauty like wind chimes and solar lights. 

Garden Elements I'm adding…..

1. A place to sit.

2. Wind Chimes

3. Solar String Lights

4. More wood trellises

5. A few more path stones

6. A proper gate (with a latch)

The 4x8 tomato raised bed.

I bought this bed for the sole purpose of tomatoes. This spot gets full sun sunlight and is a good depth for them to sprawl out. As I learned last year, tomato plants need lots of room, so plant fewer than you would think. They completely took over the space and started crawling over the sides of the back fence. It got to a point where I couldn't keep up the harvesting and it was very difficult to prune them to a manageable size. This year I’m simplifying this bed with a basil plant in each corner so nothing gets crowded out. There will be 4 tomato plants planted along the center of the bed as shown. Planting less will create better airflow and allow more tomatoes to ripen faster with more direct sunlight.

The Sunflower Patch

My absolute favorite flower in the garden. I love their bold beauty and cheeriness. I've been thinking of ways to add more to the space this year and had an idea to expand the back fence of the garden back by about 2-3 feet and create a sunflower wall. This patch of 7 ft plus sunflowers will help create a barrier between my neighbors and make a gorgeous backdrop to the space. In the corners areas of the bed, I was thinking of staggering the flowers from tall to short. Maybe also throw in some other flower varieties or veg in there too. This bed will be made of reclaimed materials. Just waiting for the all clear on the last snow fall and then I’m getting started building and filling the beds.

The Arched Trellis

Long pole beans from Baker Creek will be on one side of the trellis, and the other will have cucumbers. Cucumbers are switching sides, and beans are taking the place of snap peas, which will go in another spot. I love the visual interest that long curly beans add to the arched trellis. I found inspiration for this area from roots and refuge gardens. 

On the other side of the raised beds I’m planting carrots, kale, and maybe some herbs. I going to keep this space flexible and not super planned. I like to keep a few spaces in the garden open in case I have extra plants or want to try something new throughout the season.

More blueberries!

Growing blueberries will be a new learning experience for me. I’m conflicted between growing blueberries in containers or in-ground. I know in ground I will have to amend the soil more, but containers are easier to control the specific desires of blueberry plants. Right now, I’m leaning toward containers, and for that case, I will have to terrace the hill a bit to allow the containers to sit level. I'm also planning on using round metal containers large enough for one blueberry plant each. There is still a bit of research to be done for this project, but I have time before blueberry plants will be available at the garden centers here.

Come sit in the garden

Every garden needs a place to sit and enjoy what you've created. A place to come and not always work but admire the beauty. I found the perfect blue vintage metal chair at a local greenhouse. I absolutely love what it will bring to the space.

Solar Twinkle Lights

I’ve been inspired lately by gardens that aren't just a place to grow food but also a place to gather, wander and sit. Twinkle lights create that magical atmosphere I love. I will use solar string lights that will hang from a post at each corner of the fence and either border or criss-cross over the garden. I will probably tackle this project later in April/ early May when it's warmer. Here are some pictures of what I’m imagining. I love the lights illuminating the garden. Just beautiful.

Amending the garden gate

Last season the gate was something I wasn't sure how to tackle. After deciding I couldn't afford a wooden cedar fence I went with a DIY trellis fence with chicken wire. This has had some issues, and I ended up filling in holes with wooden stakes after realizing rabbits were finding their way in. For the most part, it has worked well. Now I want something more permanent and sturdier. 

Garden Gate Inspiration

My new plan is to make a cedar wood gate with 1x4s and 4x4 posts. I've been looking up inspiration on what kinds of style I want and hardware options. There will be more details on that project soon as it comes together.

Protecting berries from birds, rabbits, and dogs

I soon realized that the animals that spend time in my yard loved my strawberries. I found bird netting to be an easy solution to this problem, but keeping it high on top of the plants proved to be a challenge. When the bird netting rested directly on the plant, nothing stopped the animal from pushing right through it. I tried a wooden dowel to stake it up, but that ended up not working. My new plan is to create a teepee trellis over the strawberry beds. Then drape and twisty tie along with the bamboo posts with the netting. I’m hoping that this will look less sloppy, and neater and give a cool structural element to the front of the garden. 

I could go on about my garden projects forever, but for now, I’d love to see what spaces you are making beautiful plans for. Feel free to tag me on Instagram with the garden projects you’re creating this spring. Learn more about my journey to gardening in Creating a Garden You Love and see the three raised garden beds that started my forever obsession with growing my own food.

Happy Gardening!

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