There are so many benefits to having your own vegetable garden. Not only is the produce much more tasty than anything you can find in the grocery store, it’s packed with much more nutrition, and can help stretch a grocery budget by a significant degree.
For parents whose children are fussy eaters, gardening is a also a great way to get a child interested in vegetables. They’ll discover how great spinach and squash can taste when they’ve grown it all by themselves.
Gardening can be a bit intimidating for new gardeners, but there are a number of vegetables that are quite easy for the beginner.
Summer or Winter Squash
Squash has always been a favorite vegetable for new gardeners. A single squash plant grows into a vine that averages 10 feet in diameter, and produces large, bright yellow blossoms that develop into a tasty fruit. A typical plant will produce between 10-20 fruits that can be cooked in a variety of ways.
Easy to grow varieties include zucchini, crookneck, spaghetti squash, butternut, acorn, and hubbard squash.
Certain squash varieties, such as zucchini, are often the butt of jokes because they are so prolific. The secret to growing squash is daily harvests and picking those tender fruits before they grow the size of clubs. The blossoms can also be harvested and eaten as well. Squash is very easy to grow from seed and can be planted as soon as all danger of frost has past.
Every garden should have pole beans. These green beans are climbers that wrap themselves around trellises or cages and produce an abundant crop from the end of July through September. Green beans are favorites of new gardeners because they are easy to grow and fun to pick. Pole beans are another vegetable garden that are fast to grow from seed, and can be planted after the last spring frost.
Cherry tomatoes
My boys didn’t like tomatoes until they planted a cherry tomato plant. These cherry sized fruits are easy to grow and delicious to eat right off the vine. Many garden centers and commercial nurseries sell tomato starts in all different sizes. For short growing seasons, buying a one quart start will begin producing fruit as early as late July.
Spinach
For spring gardens, Spinach is another easy to grow vegetable for the beginning gardener. They don’t seem to be quite as susceptible to being eaten by slugs, and can go into the ground as early as March. Fresh, home grown spinach has a delightful, rich flavor that is both delicious in salads and cooked. From seed to harvest, spinach is ready in about 45 days.
Radishes
Radishes are the fastest growing of all garden vegetables, reaching maturity as quickly as 25 days. They are best planted in early spring, with seeds planted in 7 day intervals to produce a steady supply of radishes until the hot weather hits.
Growing vegetables are as much fun as exhibiting them at the county fair! Your home grown squash, cherry tomatoes and green beans will still be in season by fair time, and is a terrific way of sharing your hobby with the community.
Having your own vegetable garden does have to be an intimidating experience. By selecting easy to grow plants, even the most inexperienced gardener will feel like a seasoned professional at harvest time.
