What you'll make

More bees and butterflies in the garden, and better harvests of squash, cucumbers, and fruit.

When to plant

Plant after your last frost. Coneflower and lavender come back every year; the rest are easy annuals.

What to plant in a 4 × 8 ft bed

Tall crops go along the north side, so they don't shade the rest. It also comes in 4 × 4 ft and 4 × 12 ft versions.

Tips

• Plant each flower in a group of three or more: pollinators find a patch more easily than a single plant.
• Skip insecticides on and near this bed.
• A shallow dish of water with stones in it gives bees a safe place to drink.
• Leave some seed heads standing in fall for birds, and stems for bees to nest in.

More themed gardens

• Salsa garden Tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, onions, and cilantro for fresh salsa all summer.
• Pizza garden Sauce tomatoes, peppers, onions, basil, oregano, and garlic for homemade pizza.
• Three Sisters garden Corn, pole beans, and squash grown together, the way Native American farmers have for centuries.
• Pickle garden Pickling cucumbers, dill, garlic, hot peppers, and beans for dilly beans.
• Stir-fry garden Snap peas, bok choy, peppers, scallions, and carrots for quick weeknight stir-fries.
• Salad garden Lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes, carrots, and cherry tomatoes for salads all season.
• Soup garden Potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, celery, kale, and parsley for soups and stews.
• Herbal tea garden Chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, and stevia (and mint in a pot beside it) for tea you grow yourself.
• Kids' garden Fast, fun, and easy: sunflowers, radishes, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, beans, and nasturtiums.
• Cut flower garden Zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, snapdragons, dahlias, and strawflowers for bouquets.
• Small-space garden A 4 × 4 bed (or a few pots) of cherry tomatoes, peppers, basil, lettuce, and herbs.
• Ratatouille garden Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, onions, basil, and thyme for a Mediterranean summer stew.
• Hot sauce garden Hot peppers from mild to fiery, plus garlic, onions, and cilantro for homemade hot sauce.
• Pesto and Italian herb garden Lots of basil, plus garlic, parsley, oregano, and arugula for pesto and Italian cooking.
• Southern garden Collards, okra, Southern peas, sweet potatoes, and hot peppers: classics for a long, hot summer.
• Fall and winter garden Cold-hardy kale, spinach, leeks, garlic, mâche, radicchio, and turnips, planted in late summer.
• Root cellar garden Potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, parsnips, garlic, and winter squash that keep for months.
• Smoothie and juice garden Kale, spinach, beets, carrots, cucumbers, and parsley for green smoothies and fresh juice.
• Kimchi garden Cabbage, daikon radish, bok choy, scallions, garlic, and carrots for homemade kimchi.
• Pumpkin and melon patch Pumpkins, watermelons, and cantaloupes (with nasturtiums between): sprawling vines that need room to run.
• Ballpark snack garden Popcorn, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and ground cherries: snacks you grow yourself.
• Edible flower garden Nasturtiums, calendula, borage, pansies, and lavender for salads, drinks, and cakes.
• Berry patch Blueberries and raspberries: plant once, and pick for 15 to 20 years.
• Mediterranean herb garden Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, and lavender: drought-tolerant herbs that come back every year.
• Butterfly garden Milkweed for monarchs, dill and parsley for swallowtails, and zinnias and coneflowers for nectar.
• Shade garden Lettuce, spinach, chard, parsley, kale, and arugula: what still grows with 3 to 4 hours of sun.
• Plant once, harvest for years Asparagus, rhubarb, artichokes, sage, thyme, and oregano: food that comes back every year.