The purpose of an intensively grown garden is to harvest the most produce possible from a given space. More traditional gardens consist of long, single rows of vegetables spaced widely apart. Much of the garden area is taken by the space between the rows. An intensive garden reduces wasted space to a minimum. Though its benefits are many, the intensive garden may not be for everyone.
Some people enjoy the sight of long, straight rows in their gardens.
Still other gardeners like to get their gardens planted in a very short period of time and have harvests come in all at once. The intensive ideal is to have something growing in every part of the garden at all times during the growing season. A good intensive garden requires early, thorough planning to make the best use of time and space in the garden. Using the techniques described below, anyone can develop a high-yielding intensive garden. The raised bed or growing bed is the basic unit of an intensive garden.