A handful of fresh leaves. Roots for dinner. Herbs by the kitchen door. Start with a small, manageable garden, and leave a little room for what comes next.
4 beds · 1 × 3 m each12 m² of growing spaceOutdoor · Danish climate
A planning example from GroMere · Updated 1 November 2026
01 / GIVE EVERYTHING A PLACE
Small enough to start. Room enough to enjoy.
Put the pea support along the north side, with shorter crops to the south. Leave about 60–80 cm between beds, and wider access wherever you need a wheelbarrow or mobility aid.
The beds can be raised or at ground level. Choose a sunny spot, workable soil and a water supply nearby. Keep paths clear and reach in from the sides instead of stepping on the soil.
Top-down layout. The dots show crop areas, not exact plant counts. Allow roughly 8.7 × 4.8 m including outer access; adjust paths to your needs.
SEE IT IN GROMERE
A little garden, in three dimensions.
Optional interactive illustration. Loads only when you choose it; no account needed.
Drag to turn · Scroll to zoom. A representative summer arrangement using GroMere’s built-in models, not a prediction of simultaneous maturity. This preview does not edit or save your garden.
02 / CHOOSE A FEW THINGS YOU LOVE
One job for each bed.
You do not need to fill every space on day one.
01
The salad bed
Loose-leaf lettuce + radishes
Divide the length into three 1 m sections. Start one section, then sow the next about 2–3 weeks later. Keep the third free until you need another batch.
Start
Small outdoor sowings in April–May when the soil is workable. Follow your variety’s packet; protect early sowings if needed.
Pick
Radishes first, then lettuce leaves as plants establish. Harvest a few outer leaves without stripping the whole plant.
Then
Replace finished plants with another small batch. Pause radishes in hot weather; try them again in late summer.
Spacing starting point: lettuce 25–30 cm apart; radishes 3–5 cm apart in rows about 15 cm apart. Keep each crop in its own strip.
02
The root bed
Carrots + beetroot
Use half the bed for each crop. Make short rows across its width, reserving a few rows for a later sowing rather than sowing everything together.
Start
Carrots in April–May; beetroot in May once the soil has warmed. Sow directly where they will grow.
Pick
Lift some young roots from summer onwards, leaving others to size up. Keep the seedbed moist while seeds germinate.
Then
A second small sowing in June spreads the harvest. Clear remaining roots before conditions become unsuitable for your variety.
Thin carrots to about 5–8 cm and beetroot to 10–15 cm, with roughly 25–30 cm between rows. Use deep, loose soil for long carrots.
03
The bed that changes
Early peas → autumn spinach
Place a support along the north edge for a compact early pea variety. Once the crop finishes, the space becomes a new chapter.
Start
Sow peas in April when soil conditions suit the packet instructions. Put supports in before the plants need them.
Pick
Pick regularly in early to midsummer. Clear the crop when it stops producing, rather than on a fixed calendar date.
Then
Sow an autumn-suitable spinach variety in August. Pick leaves in September–October if growth allows; cold and short days slow it down.
Give spinach about 10–15 cm between plants and 25–30 cm between rows. Follow the pea variety’s spacing and support height.
04
The snip-and-enjoy bed
Chives + parsley + calendula + bush nasturtiums
Make four loose patches along the length. Keep the flowers from crowding the herbs, and choose compact varieties rather than trailing nasturtiums.
Start
Plant established chives and parsley in spring. Sow calendula in April–May; wait until frost risk has passed for nasturtiums.
Pick
Snip herbs in small amounts as they establish. Enjoy the flowers through summer and into autumn while conditions allow.
Then
Keep perennial chives for next year. Parsley often flowers in its second year, so plan fresh plants; the flowers here are annuals.
Allow roughly 25–30 cm for parsley and 30 cm for chive clumps. Flower spread varies: the seed packet takes priority over this sketch.
03 / THINK IN SUCCESSIONS
A season, not a single planting day.
These are approximate outdoor windows for a sheltered, sunny Danish garden. A cold spring, exposed site or different variety can shift them by weeks. Check local conditions and seed packets before sowing.
Four-bed seasonal plan · sow, tend, pick and replant
Bed
Apr–May
Jun–Jul
Aug–Sep
Oct–Nov
01 · Salad
Sow in batchesLeave room for the next one
Pick & resowWater; watch for bolting
Late small batchesChoose suitable varieties
Final picks if weather allowsClear finished plants
02 · Roots
Sow & thinSeparate carrot and beet rows
Young roots to pickJune sowing for later crops
Main picking periodLift as needed
Finish & storeTiming depends on frost and soil
03 · Peas → spinach
Sow & support peasChoose an early variety
Pick peas, then clearWait for the crop to finish
Sow spinach in AugustBegin picking as it grows
Spinach if conditions allowGrowth slows in the cold
04 · Herbs & flowers
Establish the patchesNasturtiums after frost risk
Snip herbs & enjoy flowersLeave enough leaf to regrow
Keep picking gentlyKeep flowers within their space
Tidy annualsKeep living chive crowns
The aim is a series of small harvests, not a guaranteed daily supply or a year-round food allowance. The first spring will have waiting time before your first pick.
04 / MAKE IT YOURS
Try the layout before you lift a spade.
Create four beds. Set each to 3 m long and 1 m wide; leave paths between them.
Name them. Use Salad, Roots, Peas & spinach, and Herbs & flowers so they are easy to find later.
Choose your region and date. Check outdoor sowing windows separately from planting out seedlings.
Plan one batch at a time. Move the timeline forward, then plan the next crop after the earlier crop is cleared.
Take the plan outside. Use your saved garden’s planting map or printable plan as a reference.
Know what you are growing
Background reading on lettuce, beetroot, peas, spinach, chives and calendula. These links describe the plants; use your seed packet and local growing advice for variety-specific instructions.