There’s no better time than now to learn how to grow your own food.

The other day, I accidentally left a whole tray of my favorite beet seedlings out on a much-too-cold night without hardening them off. Oops.

“No fear”, I thought. “Here’s an excuse to go order some more seeds.”

But turns out, most seed companies are seeing a major influx of orders. I don’t know if I would call it panic buying, but never before have I seen such an interest in growing food.

Which is GREAT! We should absolutely have interest in where our food comes from and the security of having a small food source in our own backyards.

Long story short – 1) Let’s dive into some easy-to-grow foods that even the most beginner gardener can grow and 2) If you have any extra Chiogga beet seeds, you know where to find me…

My Favorite Beginner-Friendly Veggies 

Lettuce

Anyone can grow lettuce! You don’t have to settle for the huge romaine varieties that are found in supermarkets. There are plenty of varieties out there to suit your needs. One of my current favorites is a little butterhead variety, small and compact. Lettuce can be grown indoors with proper lighting as well if you do not have an outdoor space to call your own. I’m looking at you, apartment dwellers. I’ve been there.

Radishes

Probably the fastest maturing veggie you could ever grow! They do best in the cooler temps of spring and fall. I cannot get over how you can go from a seed to a fully ready-to-eat radish in as little as 25 days. How cool is that? Plus they do well in pots and containers.

Green Bunching Onions

I have had the same green bunching onion plant for 3 years now. It has withstood 3 harsh winters and summers, and keeps sending out little baby plants that I can separate and start new groups. One of the very first foods I can harvest out of my garden in the early spring, as well as one of the last ones to go into winter. The easiest way to get one growing of your own is to find a friend who will let you take an offshoot. But they can also be started from seed!

Basil

I know a few people who have difficulty growing basil from seed, so I’ll just say that if you are in that category, you are not out of luck! Grocery stores often sell live basil plants in the produce section. Go grab one, and cut a few sections off. Stick them in a jar of water for a few weeks. They’ll grow roots, you can plop them in soil, and voila! Your very own basil plant(s) that are easy to grow indoors in a windowsill.

If you would like to try your hand at growing basil from seed, check out my article that walks you through that process by clicking here.

Swiss Chard

Okay, you couldn’t expect me to have a list of my favorite things to grow and not include chard, right? I have a love affair with swiss chard. It’s so good, so easy to grow from seed, so nutritious and delicious. It is cold-hardy, heat tolerant and beautiful. 

Bush Beans

Think your green bean varieties, only they come in so many other colors. These seeds are very quick to germinate, especially if you soak them for a day prior to planting. You can plant many seeds in a relatively small garden space. I like to plant a row of seeds every few weeks in order to stagger my harvest a bit. But, if you want a large harvest, beans are very easy to freeze for later consumption!

Summer Squash

Summer squash, like zucchini, in general are a very beginner-friendly vegetable to grow, and a very quick-to-maturity vegetable to boot. A lot of varieties I’m planting this year are ready to harvest between 50 and 60 days. So cool! But just keep in mind that they can be space hogs if you don’t plan accordingly. Plan to give each plant at least 1 square foot of garden space. And also keep in mind that you don’t need to sow too many seeds if you have a small family. I once planted 3 plants and couldn’t give zucchinis away fast enough!

Tomatoes

If you are an apartment dweller, don’t expect to be able to grow large beefsteak tomato varieties indoors. BUT! There are micro varieties that fare quite well indoors with enough light. If you have outdoor growing space but are nervous to try growing tomatoes for the first time, I would advise you to aim for a cherry variety. They are quick to grow and give you a lot of bang for your buck as far as harvest goes.

Chives

Similar to the green bunching onions I mentioned above, I have a bunch of chives that keep coming back year after year. They are cold-hardy, delicious and a favorite among our pollinator friends!

Kale

Have you ever tried kale fresh from the garden? It puts any store-bought stuff to absolute shame. Especially if you have eaten it in the spring or fall. Cold weather makes kale sweeter! Kale is quick to germinate, quick to reach maturity and quite tolerant of sub-freezing temperatures. I always stick a few kale plants wherever I can spare the space.

*Bonus flower: Marigolds!

I know I titled this “10 Easy Vegetables To Grow In Your Garden” but I couldn’t help sneaking in a flower as well. Marigolds are just so stinking easy. As easy as scattering seeds one day, forgetting about them for months, then seeing marigolds popping up randomly a few months later. I say that from experience…

Marigolds are not only easy, they are an incredibly beneficial addition to any vegetable garden. More on this to come later in its very own article. But for now, trust me. Plant marigolds!

What else would you add to this list? It is obviously not a comprehensive list and not all of these will grow in the same way in every single zone. But they are ones that I keep coming back to year after year, and I hope that if you have been bitten by the gardening bug this year, you will try a few of them out.

Happy growing,

Becca