Garden Map

Where each plant goes, and why. Updated May 13: jalapeño moved to its own container; blackberry in 25-gal grow bag; sunflowers added on opposite-yard side as leaf-footed-bug trap crop.

The raised bed (72" × 28")

Top-down view. North side (trellis) is at top; south end is at right. Jalapeño moved to its own container (see below) — the south end is now expanded basil + marigold companion zone. Soaker hose snakes through in three rows under the mulch (dotted blue lines).

Legend

Cherokee Purple tomato ×3-4 at 18-22" centers (staked + pruned)

Sweet Basil ×4 (including south-end)

Italian Parsley ×2

French Marigold (M) ×6

Nasturtium (Nast) ×2-3

Soaker hose snake-pattern

Why this layout

🌿 Tall plants north, companions south + edge

Tomatoes climb the trellis on the north side — that way their tall vines don't shade the shorter companion herbs. With the jalapeño moved out of the bed, the south end becomes an extended companion zone for basil + marigolds (great pollinator attractor + hornworm-moth deterrent right where the sun warms first).

🌼 Marigolds tucked between tomatoes

Marigolds work best when planted with the tomatoes at planting time — established early so the deterrent scent is already in place when hawk moths (the hornworm parents) come looking. We tuck them right between the tomato plants.

🌱 Basil + parsley in the middle rows

Basil benefits from a bit of shade once the tomato canopy gets full — and Sam can easily reach in from the south side to pinch leaves for the kitchen. Parsley does best in cool weather; it'll thrive April-June, fade in peak summer, and rebound in fall.

🍃 Nasturtium at the edges

Nasturtium has a trailing habit — it spills out over the edge of the bed where it can flower brightly and trap aphids. Plus the bright flowers look like a welcoming border.

💧 Soaker hose under mulch

Three passes of soaker hose snake through the bed — one near the trellis line, one mid-bed, one along the south edge. Mulched over (3-4" deep cedar), the hose delivers water directly to the root zone with minimal evaporation.

The jalapeño grow bag (adjacent to the bed)

10-gallon fabric grow bag, placed adjacent to the raised bed in full sun. Same compost-amended mix as the bed. AgriLife pepper guidance: 5-gallon minimum container; 10 is comfortable. Fabric drains naturally so no manual drain holes needed.

The blackberry grow bag (separate)

25-gallon fabric grow bag, ~equivalent capacity to the half-whiskey-barrel. Sam's existing hydrangea continues to live in the half-whiskey-barrel in its shaded location. Slightly acidic potting mix (general mix + elemental sulfur ¼ cup per cu ft = ~1.5 cups total).

🌻 Sunflower trap crop — opposite side of yard

Yard overview (not to scale). Sunflowers planted on the opposite side from the raised bed pull leaf-footed bugs away from tomatoes. Critical: scout sunflowers every 2-3 days during pest season; eliminate bug clusters there before they migrate.

Future expansion (planned for fall and beyond)

The all-day-shade area in the yard becomes the home for the fall garden's cool-season crops — especially cilantro, which doesn't survive Texas summer heat but thrives October through March. See the Fall Garden page for the full plan.

The retiring tomato grow bags (October) can be repurposed for fall lettuce, spinach, or a second blackberry plant.

🍇 The blackberry raised bed idea (parked for later)

Sam has mentioned wanting a dedicated blackberry raised bed on the west side of the yard — a line of plants in front of a trellis, getting morning + midday sun + afternoon shade. That's a multi-plant build (cedar 2×8s + new bed + west-side trellis + multi-plant blackberry row + ongoing irrigation) parked for now while we get the spring garden planted. We'll come back to it as a sister project, possibly fall 2026 or spring 2027.