Garden plan

Katie&Dan

I'm creating a garden for the first time, and have some questions about how to lay it out.  The shape will be long and narrow (likely 8ft x 30+ ft even if I don't have that much to plant this year), with one long side abutting our pool fence, so I only need to fence in the remaining three sides.

The backyard gets the south sun, and if you think of the garden as a rectangle, the sun rises by the top left corner and sets at the bottom right (roughly).

I've been reading that you want to make sure your taller plants don't shade the shorter ones.  I presume this is referring to the afternoon sun, correct?  So I'd want to plant my tomatoes & other tall plants at the top of my rectangle, right?? 

mrsbooboo

What do you plan on planting besides tomatoes?

Katie&Dan

Tomatoes, peppers, green beans, sugar snap peas, potatoes and lettuce.  I'd love to try corn too, if I have room.  Just a couple of each, I know I'm already being ambitious for my first "real" garden (aside from container gardening tomatoes and peppers). 

kastle

In general, you're correct. 

However (just to throw you for a loop!) some cool veg crops can be extended if they are planted in the shade of warm veg crops (like tomatoes).  So, if you plant your lettuce in the shade of your tomatoes, you may get a few more weeks out of that plant.  Does that make sense?

hking76

I have similiar size/shape garden.  I found good ideas at the Better Homes & Garden website - they had garden layout designs.  I chose to do rows parrallel to the 8' side, and spread out my seeding (plant multiple rows of some things, but plan them a couple of weeks apart).  I also chose to do companion planting - some plants grow better next to each other.  Good luck!