The 7 Easiest Veggies to Grow in Your Beginner Garden

Gardening truly is a magical hobby.

We find there's something very empowering in the self-sufficiency of growing some of the food we eat. Plus, in addition to being a meditative and soothing practice, it also gets us eating more ultra-fresh fruits and veggies. Somehow, they taste even better because of the work and care we put into them.

If you're just getting started with your own garden, whether it's an outside plot or just some containers in your window sill, chances are you're looking for some options for beginners. Below, discover seven out of the simplest veggies to grow in any garden.

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Lettuce

As avid salad lovers, we have to recommend lettuce for any beginner garden. It grows super fast and doesn't require a ton of care to thrive. Just water it regularly, give it the space it needs to grow and make sure it doesn't get too much sun, and it can thrive from spring to fall (and even the winter, in warmer areas). There are so many delicious varieties of lettuce to use for salads and wraps or add texture to sandwiches, tacos and more.

Plus, lettuce is also a super easy vegetable to propagate. You can start the process by taking the stem of a head of lettuce and regrowing it in water for a week or so before re-planting in soil.

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Also read about: A Definitive Ranking of the Most Popular Salads

 

Green Beans

Green beans are a truly underrated vegetable, and they're so easy to grow that they're often associated with beginners. There are two types—bush beans, which don't require supports, and pole beans, which do. They can be planted in the spring once the weather is above freezing, and other than needing direct sunlight, they don't need much water and will grow fast. After planting, expect plenty of fully matured beans in less than two months.

 

Zucchini

Zucchini has a reputation for being almost too easy to grow, to the point that planters always have an overabundance when it comes time to harvest. Plant a couple of weeks after temperatures have warmed in the spring. Just give it some extra space in its soil to spread and keep it damp in a sunny, warm environment and the zucchini will spread and rapidly grow. In 50 days or less, you'll have plenty of the squash to cook up as a veggie, spiral into noodles or bake into all kinds of zucchini bread.

 

Tomatoes

Sure, tomatoes are technically fruits (as are peppers, squashes, gourds, peas and more), but they definitely deserve a spot in your garden. Tomatoes really aren't too picky about where they grow, but do best planted mid-spring where it's sunny and they can get daily watering. They'll also need support, such as a cage trellis, for their growing vines, but otherwise are quite low-maintenance. Even if you're not into raw tomatoes, they can be delicious cooked, or featured in soups, sauces and condiments.

 

Also read about: Easy Ways To Sneak More Veggies Into Your Diet

 

Basil

It turns out that, besides doing better when the weather is a bit warmer, basil and tomatoes grow well under the same conditions, meaning you can plant them successfully in the same pot. They also happen to be the ideal flavor companions—just eat some sliced tomatoes and shredded basil on bread with mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

If you don't feel like planting basil from scratch, you can also replant the potted basil plants you buy at the grocery store. Their roots are usually overcrowded anyway, so divide the plant up into four or six sections before putting into soil to give them the room they need to grow.

 

Carrots

Carrots are another staple veggie that don't require a lot of work. Just plant their seeds in during early spring in loose soil with a few inches between them. They'll need regularly watering and direct sun, but otherwise are super low-maintenance. Even more, carrots can be eaten in so many ways, whether it's raw in a salad or veggie plate, cooked to perfection or even baked into a decadent cake.

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Onions

And finally, you can add a ton of extra flavor to your home-grown dishes with your very own onions. These versatile aromatics are low-maintenance, requiring just loose soil, plenty of direct sun and weekly watering to grow properly. You can plant them directly from seeds, or propagated from a cut onion to add a rich flavor profile to both raw and cooked dishes.

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