Let me suggest a raised bed square foot garden, which offers several advantages and some disadvantages over traditional gardens.
A square foot is 12 inches by 12 inches, and in that square foot, you can plant, for example, one broccoli, one cabbage, 9 green beans, or 16 carrots. See my handout for the planting guide.
A raised bed is usually 6 to 36 inches deep (preferably 10-12″) of soil enclosed by any material to contain it, such as stacked landscape timbers (8’x4″x4″) or 2″x10″ or 2″x12″ boards. The raised bed should be no more than 4 feet wide and can be as long as you like. The 4 foot width enables you to reach in from either side and access the entire garden, so that you don’t have to walk up on the bed.
In the next post, we will talk about the advantages of a square foot garden; and in the following post we will go over some of the disadvantages.