Vegetable Garden Types

Anyone can have a vegetable garden, no matter where they live or their living situation. There are several styles of vegetable gardens from which to choose that fits any living space or lifestyle. When deciding on what kind will best suit your needs, consider the amount of space you have, how much you want your garden to produce and how much work you want to put into it.

Vegetable Patch

A traditional vegetable garden set aside from the house and ornamental plants is referred to as a vegetable patch or vegetable plot. This type garden can sustain a family with produce for eating and canning, as well as herbs and fruits. Though smaller than the average farm, this type of garden requires ample yard space for planting in rows and can be high maintenance.

Kitchen Garden

The English style "kitchen garden" is for gardeners who need a high-producing garden, but don't have acres of land at their disposal. Kitchen gardens offer less variety than a vegetable plot, as space must be allotted more carefully. It can produce much food, but kitchen gardens are not usually enough to entirely sustain a family throughout the year.

Salad Garden

The salad garden, usually grown by people who don't want to or can't have a fuller garden is one of the smallest types. It's ideal for busy people who just like to have a few fresh, frequently used types of easy-to-grow vegetables at their disposal, or city dwellers with very limited space but want a taste of home-grown produce. Usually a small area of just a few square feet, salad gardens usually contain, as the name indicates, vegetables that are commonly used in salads: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, spinach, radishes or squash. A salad garden will not sustain a person, however it can be a satisfying hobby with a few tasty rewards.

Potagers Garden

A potager's garden is the French version of the English kitchen garden but focused more on appearance. Ornamental plants are mixed with edible plants. The aim is to use a small space to make a garden that is both decorative and functional. They are fairly low maintenance and provide a selection of fragrant herbs, edible fruits and vegetables as well as flowers to cut for bouquets. Traditional potager gardens were once in small plots set aside like English kitchen gardens, however many homeowners simply incorporate vegetables with their border plants, along the side of the house or around sitting areas.

Container Gardening

Container gardening refers to growing plants in pots and other containers. Raise vegetables on sunny windows, on porches, patios, lining the driveway or a stairway. Utilizing containers of different sizes and shape, with multiple-tiered plant stands, over-railing hooks and hanging baskets, a well-planned container garden can rival the kitchen garden in yield. Because containers give you individual control over every plant's growing conditions, container gardening is not just for those who lack space. Those with poor soil quality, drainage, pest and disease problems, and who live in extreme climates benefit from using containers.