 Growing beans can be very rewarding. It's a great vegetable for beginners because they are easy to grow. They are sometimes called snap beans and can be classified as bush or pole beans.
I grew bush beans this year. They yield well and require the least amount of work. They are also delicious! They average 16" high and stand-up without any support.
 Try growing beets for their sweet, mineral rich roots and tasty greens.
They are one of the healtiest vegetables. Their rich color comes from the pigment betacyanin, which is powerful in protecting against cancer, heart disease, and inflammation. Beets are also full of iron, folic acid, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, iodine, and vitamins B1, B2, and C. They are a great antioxidant.
 Growing carrots is healthy and rewarding. This root vegetable is full of nutrients and comes in many colors: orange, purple, black, red, yellow, and white.
Most carrots have long, straight roots, but there are many varieties and sizes to choose from. Pictured are Chantenay Carrots, which have a shorter, thicker root. All varieties are easily grown as long as they have rich, loose soil and plenty of sun and moisture.
 Growing cucumbers is very popular. There are many types to choose from for slicing and pickling. They are quick to grow when given plenty of room, moisture, and sun.
This is a warm weather vegetable so sow after the last frost, directly into the garden. Use a rich, well-drained soil. Thin to 12 inches in a row or plant three plants per mound every 36 inches. To save space, you can train cucumbers to grow up a trellis or a fence.
Cucumbers will mature any where from 48 to 68 days, depending on the type you choose.
 What's so great about growing lettuce? Well, with leaf lettuce, it seems the more you cut the more it grows.
Lettuce is mainly a cool-season crop but there are three types: cold weather (Arctic King, Brune d’ Hiver, Rouge d’ Hiver, Winter Marvel), cool weather (Buttercrunch, Four Seasons, Lollo Rosso, Romaine, Royal Oakleaf, Tom Thumb), and heat tolerant (Black-seeded Simpson, Craquerelle du Midi, Red Riding Hood, Red Sails). I am currently growing Romaine.
 Bulbing onions are a cool-season vegetable that falls into two categories: long day (northern latitudes) and short day (southern latitudes). When growing onions, they can be started with seeds, sets, or transplants.
It is very important to plant onions early because their lifecycle is sensitive to day length. For example, long-day onions will sprout top growth, and then will begin bulbing when there is approximately 14 hours of daylight. If you plant early, the plants will be large by the time you reach 14 hours of daylight, and you will get larger bulbs. If you want really large bulbs, I recommend transplants.
 When deciding to grow radishes there are over 200 to choose from! They come in many sizes and colors that you won’t find at your grocery store. Radishes are high in ascorbic acid, and folic acid. They are a source of Vitamin B6, riboflavin, calcium, and contain minerals. The leaves, flowers, and seed pods are also edible and have a mild peppery taste.
 I enjoy growing spinach. It's so versatile. It's delicious in salads, soups, stews, stir fries, pastas, and egg dishes. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Bear in mind that cooking reduces it's volume by about three fourths.
This cool-season veggie is so nutritious. It's rich in vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, C, E, and K, iron, calcium and protein, as well as folate, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and zinc. It's also full of flavonoids, carotenoids, and polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants.
 I have had great success with growing squash. There are two types: summer and winter. Summer squash is a softer, warm-season vegetable. It is harvested before the skin hardens and the fruit matures. It is a bush-type plant.
Winter squash is also a warm-season vegetable, although this type is harvested when fully mature and it's skin has hardened. At this stage, squash can be stored in a cool, dry storage area for the winter (hence the name). They are mostly vining type plants and need lots of room. They can be trellised to save space in the garden.
Plant in the spring after the last chance of frost in a rich, well-drained soil, in full sun.
Note: All squash flowers are edible.
 Seems everybody loves growing tomatoes! Nothing tastes better than biting into a fresh picked tomato from the garden. They are bursting with vitamin C, potassium, fiber, beta-carotene, and lycopene. They are so easy to grow; all you need is full sun, rich, well-drained soil, and plenty of water.
There are thousands of varieties to choose from, including: early red, main crop red, extra large red, yellow, orange, pink, white, cherry, paste, and dwarf. There are over 3,000 heirloom varieties alone!
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