6 Simple Space-Saving Tricks for Growing More Food in a Small Vegetable Garden

Dina McMahon may be an avid DIYer, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that she brought that industriousness to growing her own food. Truth be told, “I wasn’t sure I was going to love gardening at first,” McMahon says.

Still, she went all in at her Port Moody, British Columbia, yard, and today is hooked. “It’s such a wholesome, gratifying activity,” she says. Here's how she has maximized space—and put her DIY skills to use—in building a veggie garden from scratch in her compact backyard.

1. Prioritize Sunny Spots

Vegetables need sun—lots of it. So McMahon's first order of business was to tear out part of her lawn to make room for as many raised beds as she could. She approached the garden like a game of Tetris, choosing Sproutbox's modular raised beds in varying sizes and configuring them to maximize growing space.

At 17 inches high, the raised beds save McMahon from having to bend over too far to harvest, while giving larger plants’ roots room to grow.

2. Extend the Season

A greenhouse by BC Greenhouse Builders was custom-built to fit within the limited footprint in the back of the garden. Outfitted with water and electricity, the space allows her to get a jump on the growing season; she starts 90% of her crops from seed there, including sugar snap peas, kale, and calendula. “I love to crank the heat and work while it’s pouring rain outside,” she says. “It’s a total escape.”

3. Make Use of Shady Corners

McMahon utilized a shady part of the yard for a garden shed. A self-taught woodworker, she built the shed from the ground up with the help of a contractor friend. Although she’s been tempted to add raised beds along the pathway below, she accepts the low-light conditions and grows astilbe, foxgloves, hostas, and other shade-tolerant plants there instead.

4. Embrace Close Quarters

The yard’s compact size means the dining table and covered grill station are just a few feet from the raised beds—and McMahon wouldn’t have it any other way. When she and her husband host outdoor dinner parties, they often find guests wandering between the beds and peeking into the greenhouse.

5. Plant Tightly

To get the most bounty—and beauty—out of her raised beds, very little soil is left bare. Between her herbs and vegetables, McMahon tucks in flowers like cosmos and nasturtium. They're easy to grow from seed, provide color, and attract beneficial insects. And nasturtium are edible to boot. “I love adding the flowers to salads,” she says.

6. Build a Compact Potting Bench

The potting bench—which McMahon built using affordable cedar lumber and painted to blend in with the fence—helps corral messier potting work to one section of the garden. “I wanted a spot where I could get dirty and not be leaning over all the time," says McMahon. "I literally built this potting bench in a day, and it’s just such a great workstation.”