See Martha's entire vegetable garden.

Who doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous flowers all summer long? But a gal's got to eat. So it's not surprising that the first garden Martha set to work on when she bought her Bedford home, Cantitoe Corners, in 2001, was her vegetable garden.

The garden, next to the greenhouse and close enough to the house to make it a quick stroll to pluck a tomato, has come into its glory. Of course, the bounty, which ranges from early peas to fall's brussels sprouts, didn't come without effort. The soil has been amended with compost and minerals, and the garden has been enclosed with a 7-foot-tall fence -- because Martha isn't the only area resident who appreciates a tender lettuce leaf.

Row by Row
Martha's vegetable garden was laid out with rigorous geometry to yield maximum results and easy access. The major cross-axial paths are 10 feet wide and can accommodate a garden cart or a pickup truck. Each row of vegetables is 30 inches wide, and the paths between them are 12 inches wide, which makes it simple to hoe and weed from both sides. To minimize weeds and retain moisture, each row is mulched with salt hay, a grass harvested in marshes along the East Coast that contains no weed seeds.

Rotation of the Earth
Each year, the vegetables are planted in different beds to lessen disease problems and interrupt the life cycle of pests that are attracted to a particular plant. Crop rotation also allows the soil to replenish after hosting heavy feeders, and alternating deep-rooted and fibrous-rooted crops from year to year improves soil structure. Marigolds are interspersed amid the vegetables because they are believed to repel insects, and calendula is planted for its edible petals, which add color to salads.