However, make them wide enough to comfortably walk, stoop and haul vegetables. Make a rough sketch of backyard dimensions before staking out the gardens. If space is limited, make a scale sketch on graph paper. Out of a separate piece of paper cut rectangles the size of the proposed beds and arrange them on the sketch to fit in the most efficient manner. Make a list of crops to be grown.
Many gardeners like to work their vegetable plantings into the landscape.
Beds do not have to be located in a rank and file array. They can be located around the perimeter of the yard to allow space for play areas or entertaining. The final step in planning is to stake out the beds and walk through them to make sure it is a workable arrangement before expending needless labor. Before staking and stringing an area, eliminate all weeds and turf. Bermudagrass lawns will have to be smothered with black plastic for several weeks first or killed back to the roots with a glyphosate-containing herbicide.