25 Easy Vegetables and Herbs Even Beginner Gardeners Can Grow This Season (2024)

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Grow your own produce easily in your backyard

• 01 of 25

  Green Beans

  

  Are you a beginner gardener? Green beans are a must to grow first. They are easy to grow and one of the fastest-growing vegetables on the list—they're often ready to pick after 45-55 days after planting.

  To start, make sure the soil is well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic. Plant your seeds in your choice of bed and make sure it's positioned in direct sunlight for at least six to eight hours every day.

• 02 of 25

  Bell Peppers

  

  The mouthwatering tastes and colors of bell peppers aren't the only things we love about these easy-to-grow vegetables. Bell peppers are effortless to grow once you plant them in fertile, well-drained soil after the last frost of the season.

  You can plant them in either the ground or containers, but make sure their placement is in the full sun for at least six to eight hours a day.

• 03 of 25

  Cucumbers

  

  Whether you like them pickled or with a dash of salt, enjoy all kinds of cucumber recipes after easily growing them in your backyard garden.

  Like bell peppers, the best time to plant cucumbers is after the last frost of the season in fertile, well-drained soil. The best part is that with proper care (an inch of water each week), your plant should be ready to pick from in as little as six weeks.
  

  Cucumbers Love Trellises

  Since cucumbers are a vining plant, they'll love growing up a trellis. It provides a place for the cucumber to cling to and adds more ground room for the rest of your crops.

• 04 of 25

  Tomatoes

  

  Tomatoes, a ripe garden staple, are one of the best vegetables to have in your garden for their ease of growth and incredible versatility. With so many types of tomatoes available to plant, it's easy to grow your favorite meal addition or salad topping as long you stay on top of their routine maintenance.

  Tomatoes grow best when planted either from seed or set in mid-spring. They produce the best harvest in well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic soil but require watering every day. Don't forget your trellis to offer additional support and to protect them from disease or pests.

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• 05 of 25

  Basil

  

  Basil combines the best of sweet and savory notes as the perfect complement to almost any kind of dish—and what's better than that is their ease of growth.

  Basil has the same growing needs as tomatoes, but needs to be planted when the frost is completely gone. Place your basil seeds in their own containers or use them as a tomato companion plant for your herb addition to take form.

• 06 of 25

  Strawberries

  

  While you're planting savory veggies, why not add a few sweet fruits to the mix? Strawberries (really, any berries) are super easy to grow. They can grow in nearly any type of bed as long as their roots have room to grow. Sit your strawberry plants in full sun and well-drained, sandy soil and in 60-90 days, you'll be ready to harvest!

• 07 of 25

  Onions

  

  Not only are onions easy to grow, they are also super easy to manage. They don't call for a lot of special considerations; you can plant them either from seeds or sets, and they can handle the smaller space of containers.

  For growing needs, onions need to be planted in loose, well-drained, and fertile soil with lots of organic matter. Also, they love the sun, so make sure they sit in full sunlight to grow properly.

• 08 of 25

  Rosemary

  

  Not only is rosemary easy to grow, it's easy to maintain. Grow this herb from seedling from your nearby garden center and plant in well-drained, loamy, and slightly acidic soil. Though rosemary likes the full sun to reach its full growth in 6-12 months, it can tolerate partial shade.

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• 09 of 25

  Chives

  

  Though chives do have ties to green onions, they are not a vegetable, but an herb. Chives love to grow in containers from seed or seedlings and only take about 60 days to grow. Make sure the soil is well-drained, fertile, and moist and in full sun or partial shade.

• 10 of 25

  Parsley

  

  Parsley is another herb staple with variety in growing placement; this herb can grow in either planters or containers, but does take a little big to get growing (6 weeks, to be exact).

  When adding rosemary to your garden, ensure the soil is well-drained, loamy, and slightly acidic in full sun or partial shade.

• 11 of 25

  Carrots

  

  Carrots are an easy-to-grow vegetable that you plant from seed and nurture until they sprout fully in about 70 days. They can grow year-round if they are planted in the spring or fall (avoid planting in the summer, as they do not take well to the scorching heat).

  If carrots have a place in your garden, keep them in loose, well-drained soil and make sure they're planted in a spot that gets full sun. Starting out, the plant needs at least an inch of water every week until they have started to sprout, which is when they need two inches of water to get to their roots.

  Growing Tip

  Carrots grow best in the ground or in raised beds instead of containers. Containers do not provide the best airflow or room for these plants to flourish.

• 12 of 25

  Potatoes

  

  Like tomatoes, the best part about potatoes is that there are several types to choose to grow. The good news is that no matter the type, growing this beloved starch is easy as long as the plant gets full sun for at least 6 hours and regular watering.

  Potatoes can grow from seed or set in the ground, in raised beds, or in a container. Just make sure the soil is well-drained, loose, and loamy with high organic matter.

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• 13 of 25

  Zucchini

  

  Though several vegetables on our list are ready to plant when it's still chilly, zucchini is not as forgiving of the cooler weather. Zucchini grows best when the temperatures stay consistently in the 70s and when there's plenty of room to spread out in the full sun.

  Because of the space requests, zucchini should be planted at least 3 feet apart from each plant.

  Harvesting Tip

  When growing zucchini, keep your eye on how big your produce is getting. The bigger the zucchini isn't always better—it's best to pick your harvest when the zucchini is small or medium-sized.
  

• 14 of 25

  Squash

  

  Yellow squash is in the same family as zucchini, which means it's just as easy to grow. They require the same planting, space, and growing needs as zucchini and is a great companion plant for your garden.

• 15 of 25

  Radishes

  

  If you're looking for a laid-back vegetable to grow, we highly recommend radishes. Their seeds can be planted in the spring and fall for a year-round crop in well-drained, sandy soil. Though radishes like sunlight like most plants, they can tolerate partial shade.

• 16 of 25

  Lettuce

  

  Make your own salad creation at home from the yummy leafy lettuce grown in your very own garden. Choose your favorite leafy lettuce before planting in the spring or fall (note: lettuce can tolerate slightly cooler weather) and be ready to harvest about a month after planting.

  Made for the Shade

  If you're running out of space in your garden, know that lettuce only needs about 4 hours of sunlight each day, so it's fine to sit in a shadier spot.
  

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• 17 of 25

  Asparagus

  

  Other than its nutritional benefits, asparagus is a wonderful easy-to-grow vegetable that's also a perennial, which means you only need to plant it once to have it for up to 15 years.

  Choose either seeds or crowns to start your planting. Make sure the soil is well-drained, fertile, sandy, and loamy, and in full sun for up to 8 hours.
  

  Worth the Wait

  You will have to stay dedicated to your asparagus plant since it takes at least two years before it's time to harvest. But if you ask us, it's worth it!

• 18 of 25

  Broccoli

  

  Belonging to the cabbage family, broccoli is an easy to grow vegetable that needs well-drained, moist, and high organic matter soil. Choose from either seeds or sets to plant in the spring for your heads to grow.

• 19 of 25

  Peas

  

  Peas are another vegetable that can be planted in the early spring or fall for a year-round crop. More than that, they are cold-tolerant and can be planted as soon as the soil is workable.

  All they ask is for soil that's well-drained, slightly acidic, and in full sun. The only thing to note about whatever type of pea plant you sow is that they need to be picked off the vine as soon as possible or else they will go bad quickly.

• 20 of 25

  Blueberries

  

  Blueberries are easy to grow for a sweet treat or beautiful scenery in your landscape design that can tolerate partial shade. To start growing, plant the seeds in acidic soil and give at least an inch of water a week.

  One thing to note about growing blueberries is that it can take a few years for the plant to mature. Though they reach 70% of maturity rather quickly, on average, it takes between six to eight years to mature completely.

  Growing Tip

  Avoid planting blueberries near trees as these plants can compete for water and nutrients, and block the sun.

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• 21 of 25

  Blackberries

  

  Lastly of the trifecta, blackberries are another fruit easy to grow. Though they mostly prefer being planted in the spring and in well-drained, acidic soil, some plant varieties have specific requirements, so you should do your homework on your exact variety for what you need to prep.

  Also, blackberry plants come in two growing types: erect and trailing. Erect blackberry plants grow upright whereas trailing plants go along the ground and require a trellis for support.

• 22 of 25

  Figs

  

  Other than being easy to grow, figs are easy to maintain, which makes them a win-win for every home garden. These delicious fruits grow best when planted in the early spring or late fall in moist, well-drained soil.

  Figs are not a fast-growing fruit, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it to plant them. Once you have a fig tree established, the plant will start to produce in about three to five years.

• 23 of 25

  Apples

  

  Apples are easy to grow but like figs, take a few years to see rewards from your work. Apples grow on trees, so their roots need time to grow, mature, and grow.

  Once your apple tree is planted in your zone's hardiness after selecting your type of apple tree, continue to nurture the plant for at least six years (which is when the first apple should appear).

• 24 of 25

  Thyme

  

  Thyme is a perennial shrub that's easy to grow and a great complementary factor in your dishes. To get started with this herb, wait until the last frost has passed before planting your seeds or seedlings in well-drained, sandy or loamy soil.

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• 25 of 25

  Cilantro

  

  If you're not one of those who thinks cilantro tastes like soap, we highly recommend adding this herb to your garden! As a bonus for planting this herb, you'll get the coriander spice as they both come from the same plant. The cilantro part is the leaves and stems while the coriander is the dried seeds.

  To grow cilantro, choose either a pot or the ground and plant the seeds after the last frost. This plant loves soil that's well-drained and rich in nutrients. Cilantro is a fast-growing plant, so you can expect to pick from your harvest in as little as three months.