– Not every spot will do for a vegetable bed, says Materials Planning Specialist Victoria Popova. What to look out for is easy to remember: just look up, down, left, and right. Up: sunlight, which plants can't do without. No trees or buildings should block it. So first, check light levels. Now look down: what's the soil like? Is it fertile enough? If it isn't, and it usually isn't, you'll need to add fertiliser. Not right before planting, though. Well in advance. If your plot has sandy or clay soil, it's better not to waste time digging and amending it. Build raised beds and fill them with ready-made growing compost instead. Keep looking down and study the slope of the land: if there's an incline, run your beds perpendicular to it for even watering.