Next year, I’ve finally decided on how my garden will be built and what fits my life here in northern California: two long 4’×35′ lasagna beds. After thinking about different layouts, I realized that two long, layered beds will give me most of what I need — plenty of the foods that I can’t get easily from the store because of living remote.
These two beds will supply Greens, Cruciferous Vegetables, Other Vegetables, and Herbs & Spices — the four Daily Dozen categories I can grow in my shaded garden. I’ll continue buying the rest: beans, fruit, nuts/seeds, whole grains, and flax.
Here’s how I’ll build the beds and what I’ll grow in them.
🌱 Choosing the Right Spot
My garden sits in a patchwork of morning sun and afternoon shade. And the place I have chosen is basically the only place I can put the garden beds.
Each bed is 4 feet wide and 35 feet long — long enough to grow plenty of food, but simple enough to care for every day.
📦 Step 1: Laying Down the Cardboard
I start by covering each 4’×35′ area with overlapping cardboard. This smothers the grass naturally and creates a clean foundation without digging or tilling. It’s the quiet beginning of the whole garden — the part that feels like clearing space for something new.
🌾 Step 2: Building the Lasagna Layers
Lasagna gardening is perfect for my climate. It builds deep, rich soil without turning anything over. I’m using alfalfa hay as my main green layer, along with straw and whatever kitchen scraps I have.
Here’s the layering:
1. Straw (6–8 inches)
This creates the structure of the bed and helps with drainage.
2. Alfalfa Hay (2–3 inches)
This is my nitrogen rich green layer. It breaks down quickly and feeds the soil beautifully.
3. Straw (3–4 inches)
This balances the alfalfa and keeps everything from getting slimy.
4. Kitchen Scraps (1–2 inches)
Vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea leaves — whatever I have on hand.
5. Final Straw Cap (2–3 inches)
This seals the bed, holds moisture, and keeps it tidy.
6. Compost Top Layer (2–3 inches)
This is where I’ll plant. The layers underneath will feed the roots all season long.
When the bed settles, it ends up around 14–16 inches deep, loose and full of life.
🌿 Step 3: What I’ll Plant — Daily Dozen Aligned
My shaded garden can’t grow everything, but it can grow the vegetables I eat every day. These two beds will supply four Daily Dozen categories:
✔ Greens
✔ Cruciferous Vegetables
✔ Other Vegetables
✔ Herbs & Spices
Everything else — beans, fruit, nuts/seeds, whole grains, flax — I’ll continue buying.
Here’s how the beds break down.
🌱 Bed 1 — Greens + Cruciferous + Herbs
Greens (Daily Dozen)
All thrive in shade:
• Kale
• Collards
• Swiss chard
• Perpetual spinach or New Zealand spinach
• Bok choy
• Lettuce (optional)
Cruciferous Vegetables (Daily Dozen)
Shade friendly and reliable:
• Cabbage
• Collards
• Bok choy
• Radishes
• Turnips
Herbs & Spices (Daily Dozen)
Shade tolerant herbs I actually use:
• Parsley
• Basil
• Dill
• Mint
• Chives
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Sage
Bed 1 Layout
• Front 12 ft: Greens
• Middle 12 ft: Cruciferous
• Back 11 ft: Herbs
This bed alone covers three Daily Dozen categories every day.
Bed 2 — Other Vegetables (Shade Tolerant Only)
Everything in this bed falls under Other Vegetables in the Daily Dozen.
• Carrots
• Beets
• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Potatoes
Potatoes (Daily Dozen “Other Vegetables”)
Potatoes love partial shade:
• Yukon Gold
• Red Norland
• Kennebec
Snap Beans (Daily Dozen “Other Vegetables”)
Shade tolerant and productive:
• Bush Romano beans
Other Shade Friendly Vegetables
• Peas
• Celery
• Scallions
Bed 2 Layout
• Front 12 ft: Roots
• Middle 10–12 ft: Potatoes
• Back 11–13 ft: Snap beans + peas + celery
This bed covers the entire Other Vegetables category.
🌼 Why This Garden Matters to Me
These two beds feel like the right choice — simple, intentional, and perfectly suited to my shaded garden. They give me the vegetables I eat every day. They support my health goals, my routines, and the quiet rhythm of my life in Northern California. It’s a garden that fits where I life. And that’s why it matters.
I will probably need to revise this as I get closer to actually planting me garden, but for now these are my plans.
SMALL HOMESTEAD by the river 