15 Unusual Vegetable Garden Ideas

One of my favourite things about summer is planting a vegetable garden!  It’s far from perfect, but it works for us.  Some vegetable gardens are big, and some are small, and some people still manage to grow vegetables on nothing but a balcony.  Whatever your space situation is, this list of 15 unusual vegetable garden ideas has you covered and will get your creative juices flowing.

Vertical Vegetable Garden

If you live in the city, you know that sometimes land comes at a premium. So if you are short on space, consider planting up, rather than out.  A vertical garden uses a small footprint AND creates a beautiful growing wall.

Vertical vegetable garden via DIY Network

Cinder Block Vertical Vegetable Garden

Create an awesome growing wall in your space by planting your vegetables in cinder blocks.  It creates a unique and modern space, the cinderblocks will last indefinitely and weed control will be easy!

Cinderblock Vertical Vegetable Garden via Pam Penick

Dog House with a Green Roof

If you want raised garden beds, why not add some walls for a cozy retreat for your dog?  This saves on space and puts the garden at a nice, comfortable height to work in.

Green roof dog house via Savanah Morning News

Retracting Window Garden

This is brilliant for the city!  If you don’t have a lawn, or even a balcony, you can make a retracting garden that fastens to your window frame.  Lower it down to get some sunshine and pull it up when it’s time to water.  Brilliant!

Retracting window garden via Gardinista

Hanging Container Garden

Who says hanging baskets are only for flowers?  Plant an assortment of your favourite herbs and small vegetable plants, like tomatoes, and you have a teeny tiny garden that takes next to no effort.

Hanging basket vegetable and herb garden via HGTV

Cedar Raised Garden Beds

I love my homemade garden boxes!  But if you don’t want to make it yourself, this tiered garden box will help keep the weeds out, help keep the plants separated and bring them up to a workable height.  Plus, you don’t have to dig out a hole in your grass for a garden bed.

Cedar raised garden beds via Amazon

Tin Can Vegetable Garden

Repurpose some of those old tin cans into garden containers!  Then hang them on a wall for an awesome looking container garden!

Vertical tin can garden via Ewa in the Garden

Raised Garden with Green House Enclosure

This raised garden bed kit comes with an enclosure that protects from frost and keeps rabbits and squirrels from raiding your garden.  The enclosure will allow you to plant your vegetables early in the season or will protect you if there is a late frost.

Raised garden with greenhouse enclosure via Amazon

Make your Own Raised Bed using Re-Purposed Materials

It doesn’t have to be fancy, and you can re-use any number of things you already have. For example the garden beds below were made from soil mixing bins and put on a wooden riser.

Elevated garden bed via Design Sponge

Make a Bean House

Growing beans vertically with a trellis saves room and makes picking them easier, but have you ever considered a bean house? I love this idea and think standing inside the house once the vines are in full bloom would be amazing.

Bean house via Fiskars

Upside Down Tomato Plants

Make your own upside down tomato garden by using heavy duty buckets and hang them from a wooden beam in the garden. Not only will it keep the plants out of reach, but the vines that come down make a beautiful green wall!

Anti-gravity tomato plants via 1001 Gardens

Use an Old Pallet for your Herbs

Pallets are all the rage lately and they do make for a great way to hang a planter on the wall outside, keeping everything well within reach. This idea is great if you can get your hands on a clean (not fumigated) pallet. If you can’t do that then you can buy hanging planters or use a stackable pot that still keeps everything neat and tidy.

Pallet herb garden via Messy Art

Vegetable Garden in a Boat

How cool is this re-purposed boat vegetable garden?  If you have an old boat that’s no longer fit for the water, save it!  Kids would love this, plus it keeps all your vegetables raised up to a convenient height.

Boat planter via The Gardening Blog

Counter Height Garden Boxes

It gets to be hard on the back when you are constantly bending over your garden.  Why not raise them up to counter height to make it easier to take care of everything?  You can make your own or you can buy ready-made kits ranging from simple resin beds to wooden beds with storage underneath and even high end self-watering systems.

Counter height garden boxes via Ana White

PVC Pipe Garden

This seems like such a great idea!  It keeps everything neat and tidy and with the small holes, you’d never get any weeds!  Check out the link below to find out how to make it into a hydroponic garden.

PVC Pipe Garden via U-Gro Hydroponic Garden Systems

I’m personally a big fan of raised garden boxes, but there is certainly nothing wrong with digging out an area of grass in your backyard for a traditional bed.  It’s just amazing to see all the options! Save this post so that some day you can come back to these vegetable garden ideas and plan out your own awesome garden!