The following sketches show some basic bed shapes that can be used in urban and suburban edible landscapes. This list is certainly not exhaustive, and Home Harvest Organics can create just about any bed shape you can dream up.
The circle is one of nature's most deceptively simple forms. For many, this shape symbolizes the numerous ongoing cycles of life that surround us. In landscaping, circular beds can serve as oases of color in large lawns or other continuous stretches of a single type of surface covering. Centerpiece beds are often circular.
The oval is merely an elongated circle, and it can be used in much the same way in landscaping. Unlike circles, ovals can be flattened out to the point where they are essentially rectangular beds with rounded ends, allowing them to fit in a greater variety of spaces.
Spiral beds could be viewed as circular or rectangular beds with fins or arms. These open arms make it easier for gardeners to interact with the bed, thereby making planting and harvesting less difficult. The number of arms is not limited to just four, and they could number over ten if the diameter of the core circle is large enough.
The fan, the spiral, and the cross are essentially just three variations on the same theme. The fan shape has many of the same advantages the spiral shape does. The circular center area of the fan-shaped bed can be elevated above the blades to create a focal point, especially if a particularly striking plant specimen is grown in this spot.
The fan, the spiral, and the cross are essentially just three variations on the same theme. The rectangular cross, of course, does not bring any of the softening curves that the previous two shapes can bring to a landscape. The cross-shaped bed is well-suited to large courtyards.
"L"-shaped beds are great for filling in corner areas, like those formed where a driveway meets the sidewalk, or where a path joins a rectangular patio.
"T"-shaped beds can be used wherever a large area needs to be broken up visually. They serve as colorful peninsulas in lawn, gravel, bark, etc. and can have square or rounded edges.
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