10 easiest vegetables to grow in your garden

New to growing your own vegetables? It’s a great way to save money, eat well, and, with the right crops, is simple to do. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up our list of the top 10 easiest vegetables to grow in your garden. Whether you choose to start these veggies from seeds or purchase plants from your local garden centre, you’ll soon have a flourishing vegetable garden and plenty of fresh food on your table.

[Photo Credit: iStock.com/yanadjan]

1.       Tomatoes
There’s nothing like the flavour of a homegrown tomato, so it’s no wonder tomatoes are the number one garden vegetable grown in North America. From tiny cherry and grape varieties to large slicing types, all are simple to grow, as long as they receive 6 or more hours of sunlight daily and regular, deep watering.

2.       Cucumbers
Cucumber plants thrive, like tomatoes, in warm weather, and well-drained soil. Whether planted in the ground or containers, this plant will require a trellis for vining. Cucumbers are delicious fresh from the garden or pickled.

3.       Basil
You’re right. This one isn’t a vegetable at all, but rather an herb with great taste AND the power to repel harmful bugs, so it’s a gardener’s fave. Basil plants need strong sun and regular harvesting to grow big and bushy. Once the plant flowers, remove the flowers right away or the leaves will lose their fragrance and flavour.

4.       Carrots
Carrots like cooler temperatures and loose soil that allows them to grow deep into the ground. You certainly know the vibrant orange type but carrots also come in yellow, red, white and even purple varieties. These root vegetables become tastier the longer they grow, so wait as long as you can before harvesting for larger, more flavourful carrots.

5.       Lettuce
Lettuce is considered a cool weather plant, so can be planted outdoors in early spring (it can handle a little frost). Leaf, arugula and romaine are great for salads. Simply pluck the leaves you want, and the plant will continue to grow and produce more. Early morning is the best time to pick lettuce (it tends to get limp as the temperature rises). Plant chives or garlic between lettuce plants to keep pests away.

6.       Green Beans
These easy-to-grow plants come in two main varieties: bush or pole. Bush-type beans typically produce an earlier crop while pole beans maximize planting space by climbing a trellis or other support. Beans will tell you they need more water by shrivelling.

7.       Spinach
Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse, making a great addition to smoothies, salads and omelettes. It grows quickly, but be sure to pick the leaves before they mature and turn bitter. Continuous picking of the largest leaves also encourages new growth.

8.       Summer Squash
Gardeners say that no matter how many squashes you plant, you’ll always have more than you can eat. These high-yield plants grow on a vine, so they will need a trellis to climb or lots of ground space to spread out. Full sun throughout the day is their preferred setting.

9.       Peppers
This heat-loving plant is a great way to add colour to your garden, and to your plate. Choose from sweet or spicy peppers and full-size or miniature varieties. Peppers have a long growing season so it’s best to buy plants from your local garden centre rather than start from seed. To fully mature, peppers need 6-8 hours of full sun per day.

10.    Peas
Whether it’s snow peas, sugar snap, or shell, fresh peas are a crisp taste of summer. Peas do best in cooler temperatures, so plant early in the season and pick the pea pods when they are young and tender. They will also need some support, such as a trellis or netting to climb.