If you are just starting a new garden, it can be overwhelming to figure out what to grow. When I first started gardening,I tried to grow plants that were not a great choice for beginners and became very very frustrated. If you are looking at seeds catalogs or shopping at a nursery for seedlings, it’s easy to want to try to grow everything and anything. I suggest growing what you want to eat- and sticking with plants discussed below that I have had a lot of success with. Keep reading for plant suggestions for a first time gardener.
My Plant Suggestions for a First Time Gardener
I have had many successes in my garden- and many failures. I have put together a list of plants that would be great for new gardeners.. Here is my list of plants I have grown that I think are great plants for a first time gardener:
- Cucumbers
- Carrots
- Herbs
- Strawberries
Cucumbers
Cucumbers can grow on a vine or bush. There are a ton of varieties of cucumbers. I’ve grown several types and found them easy to grow and each plant can produce a lot of cucumbers. This was my first pant I grew from seed and a great plant to start with. Although over the years I have dealt with some diseases with my cucumber plants, it seems that my cucumber plants keep growing and producing no matter what.
Carrots
Carrots are also, in my opinion, easy to grow. They can be a little picky about soil and temperature but for a beginner just put some seeds down in loose soil. Carrots can take time to germinate, so have patience. But for a beginner- pulling carrots from the ground is super satisfying. My kids love pulling carrots out of the ground and the flavor of home grown carrots cannot be beat.
Herbs
Herbs! Pick what you like to eat and try growing. I started with basil. I now grow cilantro, rosemary, green onions, parsley, several types of basil and mint! I have a post all about herbs, check it out here.
Strawberries
Strawberries are almost fool proof and for that reason are great for beginners. There are two varieties- everbearing and June bearing. Everbearing plants will produce throughout the season, while June bearing will produce one large harvest. I have heard the June bearing plants produce the juicer strawberries, but I think both types are delicious. You can purchase in bare roof form or plant. I’ve only purchased in plant form but have read bare root are easy to start with at first. If you buy in a nursery in plant form, you will probably get to harvest strawberries right aware, while with bare root, you may have to wait a while. Give strawberries water and trim runners (or not). The runners will produce more strawberry plants- so you can let them grow and produce more plants.
If you have kids, strawberries are particularly fun to pick- my little one likes to hunt for the strawberries in the leaves and is so excited to pick his fruit!
My Plants Suggestions for a First Time Gardener
The best fruits and vegetables to grow will always be the ones you want to eat. But keep in mind my suggestions, as some fruits and vegetables are easier for a new gardener to try. Gardening is an amazing hobby that brings me a lot of joy- but it can also be very frustrating when you are trying to grow a plant that will just not grow (I won’t talk about my many attempts at growing zucchini). I think this list is a grow suggestion of plants for a new gardener, based on my experience growing.
If you enjoyed this post, keep reading:
Garden Prep in the Winter
Meal Prep for Beginners Part 1
Best Lessons From the Garden
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