Vegetable Garden Templates: 20 Free Layouts to Copy

Every garden starts the same way: a blank rectangle and a bag of seed packets.

Then the questions arrive. How many tomatoes fit? Does the basil go in front or behind? Is it a problem that the zucchini is next to the lettuce? (Yes. By July, the zucchini will be on top of the lettuce.)

Most first gardens aren't planned. They're improvised, one impulse plant at a time, until the bed is full and nobody can reach the middle.

A template skips all that. Someone has already done the spacing, the companion planting and the "what goes where" thinking. You just pick one that fits your space and copy it.

Here are 20 of them, picked from the layout guides across this blog. Every one is free to copy.

Find Your Template in 10 Seconds

Find your situation in the left column. Jump straight to the template on the right.

How to Pick the Right Template

A great template in the wrong spot is still a bad garden. Ask three questions, in this order.

1. How much space do you really have?

Measure it. Then be honest about how much you can look after. A well-kept 4×8 grows more than a weedy 20×20.

A 4-foot-wide bed is the sweet spot: you can reach the middle from either side without stepping on the soil. Not sure what size you need? How Much Space Do You Need for a Vegetable Garden? has real numbers for every size.

2. What do you actually eat?

The best template is the one full of food you'll cook. If nobody at home eats okra, skip the okra bed, however pretty it looks.

Our guide on choosing what vegetables to grow walks through seven quick tests.

3. When are you planting, and how much sun is there?

Tomatoes, peppers and squash want summer heat and 6–8 hours of sun. Lettuce, spinach and peas want cool weather and are fine with less.

Plant a summer template in March, or a salad template in a Texas July, and it will struggle no matter how good the plan is. Check your dates with the free Frost Date Lookup.

Vegetable Garden Templates by Size

Start here if your space is already fixed. These run from smallest to largest.

Template 1 — Cut-and-Come-Again Salad Bed (2×4)

Eight square feet is enough to stop buying bagged salad for most of the season.

Lettuce, spinach and arugula grow in dense blocks. Radishes fill the gaps and are pulled before the greens need the room.

Pick the outer leaves, leave the centre, and each plant keeps going for weeks. Resow one square every couple of weeks and the bed never empties all at once.

What's in it: Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Radish

Best for: Small yards, balconies, salad eaters  |  Season: Spring and fall

Template 2 — Summer Kitchen Bed (4×4)

Everything in this bed goes from garden to kitchen.

Tomato, zucchini and pepper are the workhorses you pick every few days. Napa cabbage and collards add leafy bulk for salads and stir-fries.

Onion and garlic sit in the corners, where they help keep pests away from the whole bed.

What's in it: Tomato, Carrot, Zucchini, Onion, Pepper, Collard Greens, Garlic, Napa Cabbage

Best for: Households that cook most nights  |  Season: Summer

Template 3 — Square Foot Garden Layout (4×8)

The textbook square foot template, and the easiest one to learn from.

Every crop gets the spacing for its size: one pepper or tomato per square, four basil, sixteen carrots.

Tomato, basil, onion and marigold protect each other from pests. Celery fills the last row. You can see exactly why each plant sits where it does.

What's in it: Tomato, Bell Pepper, Basil, Carrot, Onion, Marigold, Celery

Best for: Learning the square foot method  |  Season: Late spring to fall

Template 4 — Classic Summer Kitchen Bed (10×10)

This is the template you build when you cook. About 110 plants cover the core of summer cooking.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and tomatillos do the heavy lifting. A big block of basil sits in the middle, as a companion and a daily harvest.

Lettuce takes the shadier north edge once the tall crops fill out.

What's in it: Tomato, Cucumber, Pepper, Basil, Zucchini, Lettuce, Tomatillos

Best for: Cooks and families  |  Season: Peak summer

Template 5 — Classic First Vegetable Garden (20×20)

Nothing exotic here. Just the crops that work in almost every climate, planted at a scale that feeds a family.

Carrots, beets, radishes and potatoes give you a serious root harvest. Tomatoes, peppers, onions and lettuce cover the summer kitchen.

Cabbage and cauliflower take over late in the season. Tomatillos are the one surprise: easy, productive and rarely planted.

What's in it: Carrot, Beet, Radish, Potato, Tomato, Pepper, Bell Pepper, Onion, Spring Onion, Lettuce, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Tomatillos

Best for: Big backyards, families  |  Season: Spring through fall

Template 6 — Easy Beginner Row Garden (8×5 rows)

No raised bed? This one goes straight in the ground. Five rows, five crops, every decision made for you.

Three tomatoes anchor row 1 with room to cage. Lettuce, carrots and radishes fill the middle rows, and the radishes are out in under a month.

Basil closes the bed and keeps the tomatoes company all season.

What's in it: Tomato, Lettuce, Carrot, Radish, Basil

Best for: In-ground beginners  |  Season: Spring into summer

Template 7 — In-Ground Vegetable Plot (30×20 rows)

The biggest template in this collection. Twenty rows across 30 feet, with every other row left open as a path.

Corn opens the plot in a block big enough to pollinate. Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower follow, then carrots, onions, peas and potatoes.

Tomatoes sit at the far end so they don't shade the shorter crops.

What's in it: Corn, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrot, Onion, Peas, Potato, Tomato, Coriander

Best for: Large plots, growing a surplus  |  Season: Spring into summer

Vegetable Garden Templates by Goal

Some gardens are built around a meal, a budget or a helper with very small hands. These templates start from what you want out of the bed.

Template 8 — Kid-Friendly Vegetable Bed (2×4)

Every crop in this bed is fast, forgiving and fun to pick.

Sugar snap peas and cucumbers climb a small trellis at one end. Radishes come up in under a month, which is about as long as a child will wait.

Spinach, lettuce and carrots fill the rest with a steady, low-drama harvest.

What's in it: Peas (Sugar Snap), Cucumber, Spinach, Radish, Carrot, Lettuce

Best for: Gardening with children  |  Season: Spring into early summer

Template 9 — Compact Salsa Garden (4×4)

Every salsa ingredient in one 4×4 bed: 47 plants across seven crops.

The tomato sits between the peppers in the top rows. Onion, garlic, basil and a dense block of cilantro fill the bottom half.

Five companion pairings are built in, so the alliums and basil help keep aphids and mites off the tomato and peppers.

What's in it: Tomato, Jalapeño, Bell Pepper, Onion, Garlic, Basil, Cilantro

Best for: Salsa and taco nights  |  Season: Summer

Template 10 — Money-Saving Grocery Garden (4×8)

Every crop in this template was chosen with the grocery receipt in mind.

Black cherry tomatoes cost more per pound than almost anything in the produce aisle. Zucchini out-produces most households by midsummer.

Onions, potatoes and spinach add months of everyday cooking staples.

What's in it: Tomato (Black Cherry), Zucchini, Cauliflower, Onion, Potato, Spinach, Squash

Best for: Cutting the grocery bill  |  Season: Spring through summer

Template 11 — Tomato Companion Garden (4×8)

Tomatoes take the centre, and every other plant is there to help them.

Garlic helps against spider mites. Borage draws in pollinators for better fruit set. Peppers share the bed happily as tomato cousins.

Sixteen strawberries fill the bottom row, in the light shade of the tomato canopy.

What's in it: Tomato, Garlic, Borage, Pepper, Celery, Strawberry

Best for: Tomato lovers  |  Season: Summer

Template 12 — Compact Stir-Fry Bed (4×4)

Built around the crops that go into a wok.

Bitter gourd climbs up out of the way. Bok choy, Chinese long beans and cabbage fill the middle. Chillies and ginger sit at the edges, picked a little at a time.

Basil in one corner pulls in pollinators and keeps aphids down.

What's in it: Bitter Gourd, Ginger, Cabbage, Green Chillies, Peas, Bok Choy, Basil, Chinese Long Beans

Best for: Asian home cooking, small urban spaces  |  Season: Warm season

Template 13 — Tropical & Indian Summer Bed (4×4)

For hot, humid summers and South Asian cooking.

Bottle gourd climbs a trellis from one corner. Okra, green chillies and long beans are the daily pick. Turmeric and coriander fill the lower squares.

Red amaranth is the leafy green, and pretty enough to grow for looks alone.

What's in it: Bottle Gourd, Okra, Green Chillies, Coriander, Turmeric, Red Amaranth, Chinese Long Beans

Best for: Hot climates, Indian cooking  |  Season: Hot summer

Template 14 — Windowsill Herb Garden (Trough)

No garden at all? Four herbs, one trough, right next to the chopping board.

Basil goes at one end and oregano at the other. Water the basil end, and let the oregano end dry out between drinks. Parsley and chives sit happily in the middle.

Use a trough at least 18 inches long and 8 inches deep, in your brightest window. And keep the mint in its own pot.

What's in it: Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Chives

Best for: Apartments and windowsills  |  Season: Year-round indoors

Template 15 — Three Sisters Bed (4×4)

One of the oldest garden templates there is, fitted into a 4×4 bed.

Corn grows in a tight centre block. Beans climb the stalks, and squash spreads from one corner to shade the soil.

Timing is the trick: corn first, beans when it's 6–8 inches tall, squash last.

What's in it: 16 Corn · 44 Beans · 4 Squash

Best for: A classic companion system  |  Season: Early summer to first frost

Vegetable Garden Templates by Season and Sun

The same bed can grow three different gardens in one year. These templates are matched to the time of year and the light you've got.

Template 16 — Spring Cool-Season Bed (4×8)

Every square holds a crop that hates summer heat, so this bed goes in early and finishes before it gets hot.

Potatoes take one side, one per square. Radishes are ready in 25–30 days and free their squares for a second sowing.

Spinach and lettuce fill the rest. Flip it to a late-summer sowing and you get a second season in fall.

What's in it: Potato, Radish, Spinach, Lettuce

Best for: An early start  |  Season: Late winter to late spring

Template 17 — Summer Warm-Season Bed (4×8)

Five warm-season heavy hitters share one bed: tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, okra and squash.

Okra grows tall on the west side without shading anything. Cucumbers climb a trellis on the north edge. Squash spills over the south edge.

Plant after your last frost and pick until fall.

What's in it: Tomato, Cucumber, Eggplant, Okra, Squash

Best for: Warm climates, maximum summer harvest  |  Season: Last frost to first frost

Template 18 — Fall Kitchen Garden (4×8)

One fall bed that covers a household's vegetables: 174 plants in eight neat rows.

Spinach, cabbage, beets, broccoli, carrots and lettuce read like a full shopping list. The carrots come out sweeter after the first frosts.

Nasturtiums run down both edges as a trap crop, pulling aphids away from the brassicas.

What's in it: Spinach, Cabbage, Beet, Cucumber, Broccoli, Carrot, Lettuce, Nasturtium

Best for: A fall and early-winter harvest  |  Season: Late summer into winter

Template 19 — Allium & Root Bed (2×4)

The plant-it-and-mostly-forget-it template.

Garlic and onion take the outer squares and help keep pests away. Carrots and beets fill the centre in dense rows.

Plant garlic in fall for next summer, or sow the whole bed in spring.

What's in it: Garlic, Onion, Carrot, Beetroot

Best for: Low maintenance, storage crops  |  Season: Spring, or fall for garlic

Template 20 — Shade Salad Garden (4×4)

Got a spot with only morning sun? Salad greens like it there.

Arugula, spinach, lettuce and cilantro share sixteen square feet with chives and spring onions, 135 plants in all.

None of them want hot afternoon sun, so partial shade keeps them leafy and slow to bolt.

What's in it: Arugula, Spinach, Lettuce, Cilantro, Chives, Spring Onion

Best for: Shady yards (3–6 hours of sun)  |  Season: Spring and fall

How to Make a Template Your Own

A template is a starting point, not a contract. Here's how to change one without breaking it.

• Swap like for like. Replace a crop with one of the same size: lettuce for spinach, chard for kale, a pepper for an eggplant. The spacing still works.
• Keep tall crops on the north side. Tomatoes, trellised cucumbers and corn should sit where they won't shade the rest of the bed. If your bed runs a different way, flip the template.
• Scale by repeating, not stretching. Have a 4×12 bed? Use a 4×4 and a 4×8 template side by side. Don't just space the plants further apart.
• Check companions before you swap. Some neighbours don't get along, like beans next to onions. The free companion planting chart shows good and bad pairs at a glance.
• Rotate next year. Don't plant the same family in the same spot two years running. Move the tomato family to where the beans were, and so on.

Five Template Mistakes to Avoid

• Copying the plan, ignoring the season. A spring template planted in June will bolt. Check the season line under each template.
• Squeezing in "just one more." Templates are already full. That extra tomato will shade the basil and crowd its neighbour.
• Forgetting the paths. In-ground templates need room to walk. Keep row paths open, or you'll end up stepping on your carrots.
• Planting everything on one day. Fast crops like radish and lettuce work best sown a few squares at a time, every two or three weeks.
• Choosing by the prettiest picture. Pick by space, food and season. The prettiest bed is the one that's still growing in August.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a vegetable garden template?

A vegetable garden template is a ready-made plan that shows which vegetables to plant, where each one goes, and how far apart they should be. You copy it onto your own bed instead of planning from scratch.

What is the best vegetable garden template for beginners?

A 4×8 raised bed with easy crops is the best start. Template 3 (Square Foot Garden) for summer or Template 16 (Spring Cool-Season Bed) for spring are both simple and productive. With less space, try the 2×4 Salad Bed.

How many plants fit in a 4×8 vegetable garden template?

A 4×8 bed has 32 square feet. That's 32 tomatoes or peppers at one per square, or up to 512 carrots at sixteen per square. The 4×8 Fall Kitchen Garden above, for example, fits 174 plants.

Can I use a raised bed template for an in-ground garden?

Yes. Mark the bed outline on the ground and plant it the same way. Just leave a path around it so you never step on the soil. For long rows instead, use Template 6 or Template 7.

Are these vegetable garden templates free?

Yes. Anyone can open and view every template here, no signup needed. To copy one into the EdenVatika planner so you can edit and keep it, you'll need a free account.

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From Template to Planted Bed

Picking a template is the fun part. Then the real questions start. When do I sow the carrots? What do I do if my bed is 3×10? Which spot is empty after the radishes come out?

That's what EdenVatika was built for:

• 📐 Copy, then change anything. Every template above opens in the same bed designer it was built in. Resize the bed, swap a crop, and see straight away if it still fits.
• 🤝 Companion checks as you go. Drop a plant next to a bad neighbour and you'll know before it goes in the ground.
• 📅 Dates for your garden. Sowing and harvest dates come from your own frost dates, with reminders as each job comes due.

Just want a quick answer? The free Plant Spacing Calculator and Frost Date Lookup need no account.