The moment you decide to start a backyard garden is filled with excitement and possibility. With thousands of seeds and plants to choose from, knowing what to plant first can be the difference between a rewarding first season and a frustrating one. The key to building confidence and ensuring a bountiful harvest is to start with plants that are easy to grow, fast to mature, and generous with their yield.
Here is a guide to the best backyard gardening for beginners
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What Makes a Plant a Good First Choice?
Before we get to the list, let’s understand the criteria for a beginner-friendly plant:
- Forgiving: It can tolerate small mistakes with watering, soil, or sunlight.
- Fast-Growing: You get to see results quickly, which is incredibly encouraging for a new gardener.
- High-Yield: It produces a lot of food for the amount of space and effort it requires.
- Low-Maintenance: It doesn’t need complicated pruning, trellising, or special care.
The Best Vegetables for Your First Garden
1. Leafy Greens: The Quick-Win Harvest
These plants are perfect for a beginner because they grow quickly and can be harvested multiple times.
- Lettuce: From crisp romaine to tender leaf lettuce, this is a very forgiving crop. You can plant a variety of seeds and harvest the outer leaves as you need them, allowing the plant to continue producing more.
- Spinach: Similar to lettuce, spinach grows quickly and is a fantastic source of nutrients. It’s a great option for a spot that gets a little bit of shade.
2. Radishes: The Ultimate Fast Food
If you’re looking for instant gratification, radishes are the answer.
- Radishes: These zesty root vegetables can go from seed to harvest in as little as three to four weeks. They don’t take up much space and are incredibly simple to grow directly in the ground.
3. Green Beans: The Prolific Producer
For a high-yield, low-maintenance crop, green beans are a perfect choice.
- Green Beans: Both bush beans and pole beans are great for beginners. Bush beans grow in a compact shape, while pole beans need a trellis to climb. Either way, a few plants will give you a steady supply of beans throughout the season.
4. Zucchini: The Generous Grower
Zucchini has a reputation for being a prolific producer, and for a beginner, that’s a good thing!
- Zucchini: These plants are hardy and will produce an abundance of squash with minimal effort. Give them plenty of sun and space, and you’ll be harvesting more than you know what to do with.
5. Cherry Tomatoes: The Perfect Fruiting Starter
While larger tomato varieties can be a challenge, cherry tomatoes are an ideal starting point for a new gardener.
- Cherry Tomatoes: They are more forgiving and less prone to common diseases than their beefier counterparts. They are also incredibly productive and can be grown in a large container or in the ground, as long as they have a cage or trellis for support.
6. Herbs: The Versatile Flavor Boosters
Don’t forget herbs! They are easy to grow and will instantly elevate your cooking.
- Basil, Mint, and Parsley: All three are very easy to grow in pots or in the ground. Basil loves the sun, while mint is so vigorous that it’s often best grown in a container to prevent it from taking over your garden.
A Few Final Tips for Your First Plantings
- Seeds vs. Seedlings: While seeds are more economical, starting with a few seedlings (small plants from a nursery) can give you a head start and a higher success rate, especially for plants like tomatoes and zucchini.
- Don’t Overcrowd: Follow the spacing instructions on the seed packet or plant tag. Giving your plants enough room to grow is crucial for a good harvest.
- Celebrate Your Success: The best part of gardening is eating the food you grew yourself. A successful first harvest will give you the confidence and motivation to keep growing.
