Spring is right around the corner, and with it comes my first season as beginner gardener in our new home. In past years, I dabbled in container gardening and even tried a small raised bed. While I didn’t take those gardens too seriously, I still had a few small successes that kept my gardening dreams alive.
But this year is different. This year, I’m starting my first real in-ground garden. Because of the number of deer in our area, I’ve decided to fence it in for protection. And while I’d love to till up our entire acreage and create one garden to rule them all, I’m forcing myself to start small. I don’t want to get overwhelmed and give up before I even get started. My goal is to ease into the routine of weeding, watering, and tending before expanding in future seasons.
When deciding what to plant, I focused on three key criteria to help me choose crops that fit my needs as a beginner gardener. If you’re just getting started, these considerations might help you, too!
How I’m Choosing My First Garden Crops
1. Practicality – Will We Actually Eat It?
The biggest reason I’m growing a garden this year is to put fresh, high-quality ingredients on my family’s table while cutting down on grocery store trips. That means I need to grow foods we actually eat.
It’s easy to get caught up in what other gardeners are planting—I’ve watched countless YouTube videos featuring lush zucchini plants, vibrant eggplants, and juicy red tomatoes. But the reality is, my family doesn’t regularly eat those veggies. If I grew a bumper crop of butternut squash, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. And if I’m being honest, adding “learn to cook and love new produce” to my first year of gardening feels like an unnecessary challenge.
👉 Beginner Gardener Tip: Before growing a new vegetable, try buying it at the store first! If you don’t already enjoy cooking with it, you might struggle to make use of an abundant harvest.
2. Versatility – Can I Use It Fresh & Preserve It?
When choosing crops, I also considered how easy they would be to use in multiple ways. I wanted produce that we could eat fresh and preserve for later. Things like roma tomatoes, which can be made into sauces, salsas, and soups, are a great fit for my family’s eating habits.
3. Ease of Growing – Is It Beginner Friendly?
As much as I admire gardeners who grow delicate or high-maintenance crops, I knew I needed to start with tried-and-true varieties that wouldn’t require constant babying. Hardy, low-maintenance plants with a high success rate were my priority.
The 5 Crops I’m Growing This Year
With all that in mind, I finally settled on five beginner-friendly crops for my first in-ground garden. Let’s start with one of my all-time favorites:
Cucumbers
- Cucumbers are something that we eat often. They are great for fresh eating as a snack with some hummus or chopped in a salad.
- They’re another I’ve had success with in my smaller gardens. They’re easy to start indoors and transplant well.
- They can be pickled for long term enjoyment
Tomatoes (Roma Variety)
- Roma tomatoes have been one of my easiest, most successful crops in past gardens.
- They’re simple to grow from seed and tend to thrive with minimal effort.
- My family isn’t big on large slicing tomatoes, but Romas are perfect for homemade salsa, tomato and onion jam, and sauces for pizza, pasta, and soup.
Peppers (Giant, Sweet, and Jalapeno)
- Peppers are very versatile.
- I plan on using them for fresh eating as a snack or in a salad. I will also be using them in fajitas and stir fries.
- From the research I’ve done, they are pretty easy to grow and can be started indoors.
- I plan on preserving any excess by freezing some for fajitas and making a family favorite; Sweet Pepper Relish.
Green Beans
- Green beans are our go-to veggie. We love having sauteed green beans with our dinner most nights.
- This is another first for me but from what I’ve heard they are easy (ish) to grow.
- I want to try something on a trellis as you enter the garden and beans seemed like the logical choice.
- I’m not anticipating a lot of excess but if there is some they will be blanched and frozen.
Onions
- Onions are a staple in my kitchen and are used in so many dishes.
- If stored properly they will last a long while.
- I plan on freezing some chopped onions for fajitas and such, freezing some sauteed onions for quiche and burgers, and drying some for onion powder.
*BONUS* Flowers
In addition to my vegetables I also plan on growing a few flowers. These will be planted around the perimeter of my garden. I think that Flowers are an absolute must in a garden and here is why:
- They bring in pollinators which will aid my other plants.
- I’ve chosen some flowers with medicinal purposes like Calendula and Echinacea so that I can use them in salves and tea.
- They add beauty and make your garden a place where you want to spend time.
Final Thoughts
So that’s my garden plan for this year! Starting a garden as a beginner is both exciting and a little daunting, but choosing the right crops can make all the difference. By focusing on foods my family already eats, plants that are easy to grow, and versatile ingredients for fresh and preserved meals, I feel confident heading into my first big gardening season.
If you’re a beginner gardener, I’d love to hear from you! What are you planning to grow this year? Let’s chat in the comments!
If you’re looking for some product recommendations you can find my Beginner Gardener Amazon list here!
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Once your ready to start preserving those beautiful Summer strawberries be sure to checkout my Beginner Friendly Pectin Free Strawberry Jam Recipe!
How exciting and so well thought out! I’m looking forward to seeing how your garden turns out!