Beginning Gardener? 15 Easy Vegetables for Your First Growing Season
Interested in starting a garden this season but not sure where to begin? The worst thing you can do is attempt to grow too much at once.
Many beginning gardeners get overly excited and make ambitious garden plans, only to get overwhelmed with weeds up and upkeep in the middle of the season and give up entirely. Others fall in love with the idea of tackling challenging varieties and struggle when insects and disease pressures start to take over.
The best way to become a successful gardener in the long run is to start out slowly and grow varieties that are manageable for beginners. Early successes will keep you motivated to continue gardening for years to come, and your skills will improve over time.
Here are 15 virtually foolproof vegetables to begin with and the reasons why they are a good gamble that you’ll have a successful gardening season.
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. ramosa) is a leafy green vegetable that is often cultivated worldwide for commercial and personal gardens. The whole plant can be used for salads, soups, wraps, or sandwiches. Human cultivation of Lettuce dates back to the 5th century in China, and there are now many different cultivars grown globally.
Solanum lycopersicum is an annual or perennial herbaceous vine native to Central and South America that produces a large, juicy, edible fruit known as Tomato. Today there are over 10000 cultivated varieties. Although tomato is the world’s most popular vegetable, botanically it is a fruit.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a creeping vine native to South Asia. It has a long history of cultivation – mentions of its use are found in various ancient scripts, including the Bible, Epic of Gilgamesh and Pliny the Elder’s “Natural History“. Today, Cucumber is one of the most widely cultivated vegetable species in the world.
Radish (Raphanus sativus) is a plant species that represents a food staple in many cultures around the world. The Radish has a wide range of variations, including variants that grow in the spring, summer and winter. The root is generally eaten raw and can be used in salads or as a garnish.
Common bean is one of the most widely produced cash crops in the world, with 23.6 million tons grown in 2016. China is the largest producer of the Common bean, accounting for 79% of the market share. While the Common bean is known as a staple food source, the leaves can be used to trap bedbugs and the beans are widely used in a type of fortune-telling called “favomancy”.
Field pumpkin are most commonly seen as decorations throughout the autumn and during the Halloween holiday, when they are carved and used as traditional jack-o’-lanterns. While the taste of Field pumpkin flesh may not be ideal, eating the seeds after toasting them with a bit of salt can be a delicious treat!
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a flowering plant with a vine-like appearance native to Western Africa. Watermelon bears fruit that are widely cultivated and consumed across the world. Watermelon grow in tropical and temperate climates and requires warmth to grow. There are 1000 varieties around the world.
Garden pea (Pisum sativum) is an annual vegetable that makes a hardy, cold weather crop. Also known as the green pea or garden pea, it grows from 1 to 1.5 feet tall. Peapods form after the first year and both peas and pods are edible and can be eaten cooked or raw. Excellent in stir fry, tender tips, called pea shoots, are also edible.
The Peppers is a plant that produces bright red pepper vegetables. This chili pepper is commonly used for cooking in places such as the Southern U.S. and Central America. Most are moderately spicy, though because there are so many variants, the spice level can vary dramatically. Cayenne powder is also a popular seasoning product made from Peppers plants.
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an edible plant species that is often considered a ‘superfood’ due to its high content of vitamins, folate, fiber, iron, magnesium, and other nutrients. Spinach is grown in gardens around the world and provides an important food source.
Sweet basil is a species of mint plant native to Asia and Africa. It is a popular houseplant, and thrives when it receives plenty of regular sun and water. This plant is also easy to transfer from one soil environment to another. The edible Sweet basil leaves can be eaten fresh or dried with pizza, salads, soups, teas, and many other dishes.
The Potato is native to North America and in the United States. Potato products are the second most consumed food. This starchy tuber is a staple in diets around the world and is considered the fourth most important worldwide crop.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) is a herbaceous plant native to Europe, Asia, and North America. Slightly spicy to the taste, Chives are commonly used to flavor foods throughout the globe (especially in Europe). In gardens, the growing plants can act as pest repellents.
The edible leaves of Common borage, said to have the fragrance and taste of cucumbers, are often used to make salads, soup, and sauces. Its blue, star-like flowers can also be used as an attractive drink garnish and as an ingredient in some gins. The plant is also commercially cultivated for borage seed oil.
Dill grows upright with fine, delicate leaves. The main use of dill is in cooking, and its culinary applications vary widely. Whether dried or as a fresh garnish, Dill has a long history as a flavoring herb. It has even been found in 3400-year-old Egyptian tombs. In North America, it may be most well-known as the distinctive flavoring in dill pickles.