If you are starting your first garden, plant from this list. Every one of these forgives mistakes and rewards effort generously.
The list
1. Radishes — 25 days seed-to-harvest. Instant gratification. 2. Bush beans — Plant, water, harvest. They even fertilize themselves. 3. Zucchini — One plant feeds a household. Pick small for the best flavor. 4. Cherry tomatoes — Far more forgiving than full-size tomatoes. 5. Leaf lettuce — Cut-and-come-again for months. 6. Spinach — Cold-hardy, grows in part shade. 7. Kale — Survives frost; flavor improves after a freeze. 8. Snow peas — Cool-season; eat the whole pod. 9. Cucumbers — Trellis them and they explode. 10. Garlic — Plant in fall, harvest next summer. Almost no maintenance. 11. Swiss chard — Months of harvest from a single planting. 12. Beets — Eat the roots and the leaves. 13. Carrots — Slow but reliable in loose soil. 14. Basil — Pair with tomatoes (see our companion planting guide). 15. Green onions — Regrow from grocery-store scraps.
Skip these your first year
Cauliflower, celery, onions from seed, brussels sprouts, melons. All are doable but punishing for beginners.