Terraced vegetable garden

For years we have struggled with the steep hillside at the back of our property. The previous owner had established a flower garden on the hill, but it had fallen into a neglected mass of invasive decorative grass and day lilies. It was much too wide to weed or cultivate. The steep hill made it difficult and sometimes dangerous to navigate. It was slippery and back-breaking. We called it the "jungle garden." In the spring of 2009, we decided to begin terracing the hill as seen in the photo…

California landscape designer Christian Douglas walks us through how to create your own edible garden

raised beds, raised beds on a slope, vegetable garden, building project, diyDesignFanatic.com

Simple steps to turn your yard into a go-to snack bar

In landscapes where there are hillsides, retaining wall terraces and planters made of structural timbers, stone, and masonry can create fertile planting spots that restrain erosion and provide flat surfaces for planting.

These vegetable garden ideas will inspire you to grow food in whatever space you have. Whether you choose raised beds, containers, or planting in the ground, you can grow vegetables from spring to fall in any size patio or yard.

We worked with the owner of this Mercer Island home to completely transform his large, shady backyard and unproductive vegetable garden into a sunny productive space. The new extensive annual vegetable garden features deep raised beds, wide pathways, small production greenhouse, tool shed, rain garden and patio for entertaining. The site will also includes native plantings, cut-flower garden and a small farm stand that the owner will stock with the extra bounty from his garden.

Modern houses plunked down in dramatic, often inhospitable settings are the eye candy of countless architecture blogs and books. But all that craggy drama