Free Vegetable Garden Plans:
Printable Layouts for Every Size Garden
★ SaveThese free vegetable garden plans are one-page PDFs you can print and take to the garden. There are eleven of them, from a family-size 20 x 40 garden to a round garden and three half barrels on a patio.
Pick whichever of these free vegetable garden plans is closest to your space, then swap in your own favorite vegetables. Or draw your own layout with our free interactive Garden Planner, which spaces the plants for you.
From My Garden
I am fortunate to live in the countryside in Oregon's Willamette Valley, where almost everyone I know has at least a small vegetable garden.
When I started this website in 2009, I wanted it to be a helpful and inspiring place for gardeners of every experience level. These free vegetable garden plans are here to make planning your garden more fun, and a bit more organized if you need help with that.
Your garden doesn't have to grow everything. This year we grew only tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, sweet and hot peppers, and winter squash. A friend nearby had a huge garden, and he shared green beans, onions, and English cucumbers with us.
His wife shared two big boxes of dahlia tubers she had divided from her own plants. We are still enjoying the beautiful, color-coordinated dahlias in November, thanks to her generous gift!
Sharing plants and seeds gives us living reminders of our friendships and connections with others.
Charlotte
Rather design your own?
Drag vegetables into a bed with our free Garden Planner. It shows how many plants fit, then you print your plan. No signup.
Open the Garden PlannerOn This Page
Pick From Our Free Vegetable Garden Plans
Click any of the free vegetable garden plans to open the PDF, then print it. Each one is a single page. They are free, with no signup.
| Free plan (PDF) | Type and size | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 20 x 40 Vegetable Garden Plan | In-ground, 800 sq ft | A family-size garden with room for a little of everything |
| 20 x 40 Garden Plan with Corn | In-ground, 800 sq ft | The same family garden, with a block of sweet corn |
| 10 x 20 In-Ground Garden Plan | In-ground, 200 sq ft | A medium backyard garden |
| 10 x 10 Vegetable Garden Plan | In-ground, 100 sq ft | A first in-ground garden: tomatoes, peppers, beans, zucchini, salad crops |
| 4 x 20 In-Ground Garden Plan | In-ground, 80 sq ft | A long, narrow bed along a fence, path, or driveway |
| 4 x 16 Raised Bed Garden Plan | Raised bed, 64 sq ft | Eight 2-foot sections: tomatoes, peppers, beans, kale, lettuce, spinach, carrots, onions |
| 4 x 12 Raised Bed Garden Plan | Raised bed, 48 sq ft | A mid-size raised bed |
| 4 x 8 Raised Bed Square Foot Plan | Raised bed, 32 sq ft | The classic first raised bed, planted square by square |
| 4 x 4 Square Foot Garden Plan | Raised bed, 16 sq ft | A small salad and tomato garden; great for beginners and kids |
| Circular Vegetable Garden Plan | Round, 12 ft across | A pretty pie-shaped garden with a pole bean teepee in the center |
| Three Half-Barrel Container Garden | Containers | A patio, deck, or balcony with no garden bed |
Want to draw your own on paper? Print our free blank garden worksheets, with grid sheets and raised bed planners.
10 x 10 Vegetable Garden Plan
A 10 x 10 garden is a good size for a first in-ground garden. It has three beds with straw paths between them: tomatoes and a cucumber trellis on the north side, peppers, bush beans, and one zucchini in the middle, and salad crops and marigolds on the south side.
10 x 10 Vegetable Garden Plan
★ SaveOne zucchini plant is plenty for most families. It keeps producing all summer!
Raised Bed and Square Foot Garden Plans
A raised bed is the easiest way to start a vegetable garden. The soil warms early, drains well, and you never step on it. These two are our most popular free vegetable garden plans.
4 x 16 Raised Bed Garden Plan
★ Save4 x 8 Raised Bed Square Foot Plan
★ Save
★ SaveNew to square foot gardening? Our square foot gardening guide explains how many plants fit in each square. For more ideas, see our raised bed gardening guide and 8 small garden plans.
Container Garden Plan for Small Spaces
★ SaveNo yard? Three half barrels on a sunny patio can grow a surprising amount of food. Our container plan shows what to plant in each one. Download the container garden plan (PDF).
For pot sizes, soil, and the best vegetables for pots, see our container vegetable gardening guide.
How to Use a Vegetable Garden Plan
Use these free vegetable garden plans as a starting point, not a fixed rule. Swap in the vegetables your family likes to eat, and adjust the spacing to fit your yard.
- Find your sunniest spot. Most vegetables need at least 6 to 8 hours of sun a day.
- Put tall crops on the north side. Corn, pole beans, and tomatoes go on the north side, medium plants in the middle, and short ones on the south side, so the tall plants don't shade the rest.
- Leave paths. Paths 18 to 24 inches wide let you reach every plant without stepping on the soil.
- Start smaller than you think. A small garden that is well cared for grows more food than a big, weedy one. You can always add a bed next year.
- Check your planting dates. Our free Planting Calendar gives the dates for every vegetable by zip code.
- Keep a record. Write down what you planted where, so you can rotate your crops next year.
Add a few flowers. Marigolds, nasturtiums, and zinnias bring in bees and helpful insects, and they make the garden beautiful. Our companion planting chart shows what grows well together.
For step-by-step layout help, see planning a vegetable garden layout and vegetable garden layout ideas.
More Free Garden Planning Printables
Plan the whole season with these free printables. Click any picture to open it.
See all of our free downloads in one place on our Free Vegetable Garden Printables page.
Planning Your Garden Video
Involve your family in your garden. Planning and planting together is a great way to learn, spend time together, and eat well for very little money.
Circular and Knot Garden Designs
Circular Vegetable Garden Plan
★ SaveA round garden is beautiful and easy to reach. Stepping-stone paths lead to every bed. The lettuce and spinach go on the north side, where the bean teepee gives them a little afternoon shade.
★ SaveVegetable beds don't have to be rectangles. One of the prettiest designs is the knot garden, a geometric pattern of small beds and paths.
A knot garden about 38 by 46 feet could have gravel paths edged with low hedges. Plant herbs in the top bed, perennials such as rhubarb in the bottom beds, and strawberries and artichokes in the side beds. That leaves eight center beds for your main vegetable crops. A birdbath or fountain makes a lovely centerpiece.
Vegetables for a knot garden
★ Save- Salad greens: Lettuces in different colors are pretty and practical. Pick the outer leaves as you need them, and the plants keep growing without leaving gaps.
- Zucchini and cucumbers: Both look good and produce well along the borders.
- Tomatoes: Give them the sunniest beds and rich soil.
- Scarlet runner beans: Bright red flowers and good eating.
- Asparagus: Soft, feathery foliage and a delicious spring crop.
To keep the beds full, start replacement lettuce and greens in a seed bed or cold frame.
Garden Plan Questions
- Are these garden plans free?
- Yes. All eleven free vegetable garden plans are one-page PDFs, with no signup. Click a plan, then print it.
- Which garden plan is best for beginners?
- For a raised bed, the 4 x 8 or the 4 x 4 square foot garden. For an in-ground garden, the 10 x 10 plan. All three are small enough to care for easily and still grow plenty of salads, tomatoes, and beans.
- How big a garden does a family of four need?
- A common rule of thumb is about 100 square feet per person for fresh eating, and about twice that if you want to can or freeze. The 10 x 10 and 10 x 20 plans are a good start for fresh eating; the 20 x 40 plans are for bigger appetites and preserving.
- Which way should garden rows run?
- Rows running north to south get the most even sun. Put tall crops on the north side so they don't shade shorter ones.
- Can I change the vegetables in a plan?
- Of course. Swap in what your family likes to eat, and keep tall crops on the north side. Our free Garden Planner shows how many of each plant will fit.
- When should I plant my garden?
- It depends on your frost dates. Our free Planting Calendar gives the dates for every vegetable by zip code.
For more ideas, see the National Gardening Association's article on planning your garden.
More Garden Planning Guides
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