This is our very first garden, and it’s something we’ve been dreaming about for a while now. We really wanted to take a step toward growing more of our own food and having fresh veggies right outside our door. It’s been such a fun (and slightly chaotic) learning experience, and I’ve loved every part of it – from figuring out the layout to getting my hands in the dirt. In this post, I’m sharing exactly what we planted and why we chose each thing. Whether you’re planning your own garden or just curious, I hope it gives you a little inspiration!

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• Tomato
  • Growth Style: Tall, vining/staked
  • Key Notes: Needs support, heavy feeder
• Cucumber
  • Growth Style: Vining or bush
  • Key Notes: Trellis preferred, spray
• Squash
  • Growth Style: Bushy, sprawling
  • Key Notes: Needs lots of room
• Zucchini
  • Growth Style: Bushy, sprawling
  • Key Notes: Needs lots of room
• Bell Pepper
  • Growth style: Bushy, medium height
  • Key Notes: Likes warmth, less sprawling
• Okra
  • Growth style: Very tall, upright
  • Key Notes: Heat lover, needs space and air flow
• Basil
  • Growth style: Short, bushy
  • Key Notes: Loves tomatoes
• Thyme
  • Growth style: Low growing, spreading
  • Key Notes: Prefers drier conditions
• Cilantro
  • Growth style: Short, quick growing
  • Key Notes: Cool-season, bolts easy
• Lavender
  • Growth style: Shrubby, needs dry soil
  • Key Notes: Doesn’t like wet roots
• Dill
  • Growth style: Medium, wispy
  • Key Notes: Attracts pollinators, reseeds easily
• Rosemary
  • Growth style: Woody shrub, slow growing
  • Key Notes: Likes dry soil

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Bed 1: Tomatoes + Basil + Dill

• Tomatoes at the back (trellis/stake support ) to keep them upright.
• Plant basil underneath/around tomatoes – they grow beautifully together!
• Add a few dill plants near tomatoes for pollinator attraction (just not too close — dill can attract tomato hornworms, so on the side).
• Layout:
  • Back row: Tomatoes ( 2 – 3 plants spaced apart,
    staked)
  • Front/side edges: Basil tucked in
  • One smaller corner for dill

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Bed 2: Cucumbers + Peppers + Cilantro

• Cucumbers on a trellis on the back side to grow up and save space.
• Bell peppers in the front — they’re shorter.
• Cilantro can be tucked around peppers — it prefers cooler soil, and peppers can shade it a little.
• Layout:
  • Back trellis: Cucumber vines
  • Middle/front: Bell peppers ( 2 – 3 plants)
  • Under/around peppers : Cilantro

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Bed 3: Squash + Zucchini

• These need their own room – they are space hogs!
• Plant one squash at one end and one zucchini at the other, letting them each sprawl inward.
• Layout:
  • Left side: Squash
  • Right side: Zucchini
  • (Try to train vines outward over bed edges if needed.)

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Bed 4: Okra + Lavender + Rosemary + Thyme

• Okra will grow very tall — best planted at the back side of the bed.
• Lavender, rosemary, and thyme like drier, slightly less rich soil – group them in the front side.
• These herbs are low maintenance and love heat like Okra does

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