Big enough? Well, that's a relative term. I think this will depend on your personal experince with this trial run. Nonetheless, you are using the right logic - i.e. to not bite off more than you can chew. If it turns out to be too small then you can always bite into a bigger piece, or if too large then a smaller piece. I think the better question is will you be able to fit your entire list of veges into the 3 by 8 space. My guess is that it would be kinda crowded if you do.. The raised bed types on this forum should be able to provide you with more accurate feedback..

I am feeling that it may be too tiny ...

Blue berries need an acidic well drained soil, so assuming you have a concrete foundation, you don't want them there. Concrete is basic. Okra , eggplant and tomatoes, even the dwarf ones are fairly large plants. You could choose early frost proof leafy veggies and harvest them before you set the tomatoes, eggplant, okra which are hot weather plants. You could repeat the greens in the fall when the summer veggies quit. By carefull choosing dwarf summer vegetables , you can probably crowd 8 plants in a 3 by 8 bed, assumming you have open space on the sides.

I think I will make the bed bigger! Right now it is just an island in a sea of grass anyway. :) I have lots of time to collect stuff to make layers.

And your answer about blueberries really helps -- I will plant them at the edge of the yard which is well-drained and sunny.
Thanks so much!!!

Additional comment about blueberries. If you're planting them in soil that has been growing grass, you will need to acidify the soil quite a bit - I used sulfur on mine. You can probably assume your soil is around pH 7 and you'll need to get down around 5, I think. There are several good sites on growing blueberries that will tell you for sure and how much sulfur required to get your soil there. Afterward, you can mulch them with pine straw to help keep it acidic. Be sure you get the right type of plants (highbush vs rabbiteye) for your climate.

Well, I tried and tried to post a link, but it won't let me for some reason.

If you click on my page, then click on my clippings, there's a post I put on the sfg forum about my new raised bed garden this year. I hope it might help you.

Ajpa, where do you live? This would make a tremendous difference regarding blueberries. When we lived in the pine barrens, in NJ, our soil was so acidic that things would grow better in beach sand. In other parts of the country one deals with the whole range of soils, from way acidic to white alkali (very basic).

If I were you I'd plan on 3 X 8' just for okra and do something else for the other plants. But then, it really depends on your expectations.

It is better, in my opinion, to do well with a little garden, and wish you had more (like in, maybe next year!), than to over do it and flop. Still, okra takes space and will really compete with plants growing real close.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Thanks for all the tips.

-- macmex, I live near Valley Forge PA. There's some streams nearby. My foundation hydrangeas come up blue, so my guess is the soil is slightly acidic. It's clay too. My 7yo loves to eat okra, and she says we must plant it.
-- greenbean, those are great pics! can I ask what those white covers are, and what they're for?
-- grandpop1, thanks for the blueberry tips! Your pine needle mulch reminded me -- can I use my Christmas wreath as mulch over the spot I want to acidify?

I'm really not much of a gardener, but this spring I am determined to have at least a few homegrown organic veggies. My wishlist is to have okra, little eggplants (asian or heirloom), tomatoes, garlic, some kind of string bean, some kind of leafy veggie, small hot pepper.

I grow veggies in 3'x8' raised beds. Very nice size for easy management, weeding, etc. I have grown veggies giving each a lot of room as well as with very close spacing ala the Sq Ft method. I will give you some suggestions on ideal growing space to help you determine how much growing area you will want.

I have not grown okra and really don't know a thing about it's requirements so won't comment on it.

Smaller eggplant varieties can be grown in 1 sq ft to 18 sq inches successfully.

I would give tomatos a 2'x2' area each. They can be grown closer, but will generally require some pruning or simply dealing with a solid wall of foliage prone to hiding bugs and rapid spreading of disease if that becomes a problem.

Garlic I would allow at least 4 square inches each, some would go to 6 square inches (so 4-6 per square foot).

Beans you can either grow bush bean or pole bean plants. I would recommend the bush bean plants if you wish to avoid using a trellis your first year. 4-6" spacing between plants is good so 4-6 plants per square foot.

Leafy plants like lettuce and most other greens can be grown 'patch style'. You simply allocate the space you wish to have greens growing in and then lightly scatter seed on the loosened soil and water them in. As they grow and crowd each other you remove plants to make room for those remaining to grow larger. Eat the smaller ones too!.

Peppers are generally good with 1 sq ft each unless you get a larger variety.

Thanks -- I will read about square foot gardening!

The white covers are sheer curtains from the thrift store. Their primnary purpose is for hail protection, as hail tends to be pretty common here. It wasn't too bad this past year (the only year I have lived here), but from what my neighbors and others have said, I should take precautions if I don't want my veggies pelted to death.

I'm going to experiment some with using them as row covers (instead of the floating ones) as well next year. When they are lower, closer to the top of the bed, it seems they retain some heat as well, or maybe it's just that they block the wind some. I live in zone 5 at 7000 feet and pretty much on the prairie, which can really mean a lot of wind.

aipa, Somewhere in your profile you need to list 'Valley Forge, Pa.' and your zone for more helpful answers.

simmran -- oops -- I went and put my zone & location in my profile. Thanks and sorry for not figuring that out myself (doh!)