5 Simple Plants for Beginners
When starting a new garden, it’s important not to feel overwhelmed by the experience. I find it best to plant some things that will give you a little sense of instant gratification in the first year.
I chose WAY too many plants to start in my garden the first year. I was drowning in failures, but I managed to find a few plants that really performed with minimal help from me.
Now that’s the “instant gratification” that I’m talking about.
Allow me to share my list of the most fool proof plants for beginner gardeners.
1. Greens
Lettuce, Spinach, and Kale OH MY!
Blue Curled Vates Kale
Im always eager to plant seeds as early as possible in the spring. Greens are one of the first seeds that I throw down in the soil every year, and they never dissapoint.
Salad isn’t really a first choice meal in my house, but growing our own greens has really put a new spin on things.
Buttercrunch Lettuce
There’s something so cool about being able to go out into the garden and choose EXACTLY what you want in your salad.
I had never even heard about Buttercrunch lettuce until I was gifted some seeds, and now its our go to choice for any salad.
2. Snap Peas
Sugar Ann Snap Peas
We cant get enough of these sugar snap peas!
Honestly, this was the 1st thing that I grew that made me feel like a successful gardener.
They sprout up so quickly in spring, and its such a treat watching them grow.
You can literally get big handfuls of peas just by planting 2 or 3 seeds.
3. Radishes
French Breakfast Radish
Radishes aren’t just for companion planting!
It dawned on me, that I only really hear folks talk about how amazing radishes are at deterring garden pests.
While that is true, I found some other pretty cool facts when growing them in my own garden.
Cherry Bell Radish
Some varieties take only 23 days to mature. Need I say more? (INSTANT GRATIFICATION!)
They can survive a frost (down to 28℉). So go ahead and plant them in early spring. You’ll be feeding your gardening soul early in the year, and enjoying your 1st harvest by April. (If you’re like me here in New Jersey Zone7b)
I never took the time to realize the different flavors and spice levels of a radish. Not only do they range from spicy to mild, but depending on how you choose to use them the flavor profile can completely change.
Try them raw on salads, Roasted with dinner, Or my personal favorite, Pickled on a taco.
4. Herbs
How can you go wrong growing herbs?
They are some of the easiest plants to find. Even groceries stores are selling potted herbs now.
You can grow herbs in just about anything, making them extremely convenient for container gardeners.
Tea Garden
The very 1st container I planted in my Brooklyn apartment was just a menagerie of basil, parsley, oregano, mint and other herbs.
I remember feeling so proud of my pasta sauce made with herbs from my own backyard garden, and I was HOOKED!
I’m telling you, there’s nothing like having easy access to a bit of mint for my mojito! (Or water I guess.)
5. Potatoes
May 9th, 2019
Potatoes are a container gardener’s dream!
This might come as a surprise to some beginner gardeners, but potatoes are hands down one of the BEST “Set it and Forget it” vegetables that I have ever grown.
For some reason I was under the impression that potatoes would be a hard vegetable to undertake in the 1st year. Well boy was I wrong!
I found some seed potatoes at Home Depot, bought a few grow bags, and I was 100% on board to grow some Brooklyn Potatoes.
April 8th I planted seed potatoes in the grow bag on the right. I was stunned by how much they had grown in just one month! (Considering I had not touched them ONCE since planting.)
Thats right folks! I planted them, Mother Nature watered them, and I reaped all the benefits.
These are just a few of the plants that I had success with in my 1st year of gardening. If you’re starting a garden of your own, I encourage you to try some of these Fool Proof plants. If you do, be sure to tag me in your photos @BroadwayGardener so I can see all of your success.
Don’t be afraid to fail! Trust me, I’ve done a lot of it. The important thing, is that you start!
