Setting Up Your First Vego Garden: Your Step-by-Step Guide

Starting your first garden is both exciting and nerve-wracking. The excitement comes from imagining lush plants and fresh harvests outside your door. The nerves? Well, those come from the “what ifs.” What if I pick the wrong spot? What if my plants don’t grow? Rest assured, every seasoned gardener started exactly where you are, with a lot of questions and a little determination.

If you’re starting gardening for the first time, Vego can help turn those worries into confidence. Our raised garden beds are beginner-friendly and designed to simplify the process, so you can spend more time enjoying your garden and less time stressing over how to set it up. Whether you want to grow vegetables, herbs, or flowers, this guide will help you build your first garden step by step.

Choosing the Right Vego Garden Bed for Your Space

You visit the Vego Garden website, you’ll notice several bed sizes and styles. This can be overwhelming at first, but narrowing down your options comes down to a few simple questions:

How Much Space Do You Have? 

Compact models like the 17" Tall 6 In 1 Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed are the best for smaller patios or balconies. If you’re working with a larger yard, the 32" Extra Tall 10 In 1 Jumbo Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed Kit offers a generous planting area with ten possible configurations.

What Do You Want to Grow? 

If you're planning to grow big plants like squash, opt for a larger bed. If you're growing herbs like basil or thyme, a smaller bed will do. For instance, the 32" Extra Tall 4 1 Raised Garden Bed is excellent for deep-rooted plants like carrots or potatoes, while the 17" Oval 2 1 Bed works well for smaller crops like lettuce or cilantro.

Do You Care About Looks?

Your garden bed is also part of your outdoor aesthetic, so pick a bed that enhances your space while meeting your gardening requirements. 

 

Preparing the Perfect Site for Your Garden

Think of this step as choosing the foundation for your future plants. 

Sunlight

Most vegetables and herbs need six to eight hours of sunlight daily. Take a day to observe your yard and note which spots get the most consistent sun.

Make It Accessible

Your garden should be easy to reach for both you and water. A spot near a hose or faucet will save countless trips with a watering can. 

Prep the Ground

Before placing your bed, clear the ground of rocks, weeds, or debris. You don’t need to dig, but leveling the area with a rake will help the bed sit evenly.

 

Assembling Your Vego Bed

Once you’ve chosen a place to place your bed, assembly is easier. The box includes everything you need, along with clear instructions.

Tips for Assembly:

• Unpack the Kit: Lay out all components, including panels, corner pieces, and hardware.
• Connect the Panels: Using the provided screws and nuts, attach the panels to the corner pieces. Ensure all connections are tight to maintain stability.
• Stabilize the Structure: Once assembled, check for any wobbling. Adjust and tighten as necessary to ensure the bed is secure.

One of the best features of the Vego beds is their modularity. If you decide to expand your garden later, you can easily add on and configure the beds to fit new layouts.

 

 

Filling Your Bed

The success of your garden largely depends on the quality of the soil, which provides the essential nutrients, structure, and drainage your plants need to grow healthy. Raising beds lets you control the soil mixture, unlike planting directly in the ground.

Below are the Ideal Soil Layers:

• Base Layer: Start with coarse organic materials like sticks or straw. This creates airflow and helps with drainage.
• Compost Layer: Add kitchen scraps, leaves, or compost. Over time, this will break down and feed your plants.
• Topsoil Layer: Use high-quality garden soil for the top. Aim for a loamy texture that feels light and crumbly in your hands.

 

Utilizing Vego Accessories

Here are a few accessories to make your gardening experience smoother:

Seed Starting Trays 

Instead of planting seeds directly into your garden bed, start them in seed starting trays - reusable ones that will save you money. These trays help with germination and transplanting. You can keep them indoors until your seedlings are ready for outdoor life.

Garden Planner

A garden planner is your blueprint for success. This is especially useful for maximizing your space and practicing companion planting, where certain plants support each other’s growth. For example, planting marigolds near tomatoes can deter pests, while basil improves the tomato’s flavor.

Watering Solutions

Proper watering is vital to a successful garden, but keeping up with it daily can be challenging. Thankfully, self-watering options are available, like the modular wicking bed insert. This system allows your raised bed to hold water at the base, ensuring consistent moisture levels for your plants. It reduces how often you need to water and helps prevent over- or under-watering, making it perfect for busy gardeners or those in drier climates. 

Planting and Caring for Your Garden

With your bed ready and accessories on hand, it’s time to plant. Start by choosing plants suited to your local climate and the current season. Leafy greens, root vegetables, and herbs are often great for beginners since they’re relatively low-maintenance.

Pay attention to spacing and planting depth. Most seed packets or plant tags will include guidelines on how far apart to place your plants and how deep to plant them. For example, tomatoes need more space to spread, while lettuce can be planted closer together.

Conclusion

Setting up your first garden is a chance to learn, grow, and connect with nature.  Whether using seed-starting trays, reusable ones to give your plants a strong start, or a garden planner to create a thoughtful layout, Vego provides tools and resources that make gardening more rewarding.