What to Grow in Your Vegetable Garden

Picking the types of vegetables to use in your garden is the most fun part. Here's some tips to help you grow all the vegetables you want in your garden.

Plant What You Like

This might seem like a silly piece of advice but many people fall into the trap of wanting to plant everything. When you are choosing what vegetables to grow in your vegetable garden try to sticks to the types of vegetables that you really enjoy eating. Then you can pick a few exotic ones to try to grow each year. There's nothing worse than spending all the effort to grow a vegetable garden and not like the vegetables that come out of it. This is especially important if you aren't in a large family. If your vegetable garden is successful it's hard enough to get through all the vegetables you love, much less ones you might not like as well.

Your Climate and Plant Hardiness Zone

When considering vegetables for your garden another thing to keep in mind is that certain vegetables can not be grown in every climate (at least without major help). For instance, peppers need long, warm days in order to really produce, so they can really struggle in places with milder and shorter summers. On the flip side, lettuces and broccoli normally don't do well in the harsh summer heat, so climates with long, hot summers can make it difficult on those vegetables. Most vegetables can be grown anywhere, especially with help, but be sure you're aware of any special needs they might have in your climate. You can find out your plant hardiness zone on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Vegetable Size and Garden Size

These two factors go hand in hand when choosing the vegetables for your garden. Some vegetables like squash and melons take up huge amounts of space, 4-5 feet for many varieties, while some like radishes or carrots can be grown in as little as 2 inches. The larger your vegetable garden is, the more space you can devote to these larger plants, but if you have a smaller vegetable garden be sure you don't grow too many of the larger vegetables.

Some of Our Specific Vegetable Recommendations