It is never too late to start a garden, the easiest way to keep your wallet fat and your waistline slim and trim. Growing your own garden can also reduce your carbon footprint as you make a conscious decision to eat healthy food and not buy food that is being shipped from all over the world. This is one of the biggest environmental actions we can take to protect the planet.

To get your garden started, you will first need to find a location that will get plenty of sunlight throughout the day. The most important element to have is good soil. The three primary nutrients used by plants are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Good soil will have all three of these. If you have a new home, chances are the soil is clay or sand, which means crops may not grow as well. One thing you can do to improve poor soil is make a raised bed. Mix the soil you already have with some organic soil which you can purchase from your local nursery. Another option is to start compost. This will ensure that your crops get all of the nutrients they need.

Next, you have to choose how big and what type of crops you want to put in your garden. Below I have listed some great vegetables with which to start. You can always go to your local library or bookstore to learn how to add other great crops, but this is a good jumping off point for beginners. Remember that plants and crops are receptive to the energy around them, so do not forget to give them lots of TLC.

Easy-to-grow options.

  • Tomatoes- Nothing tastes better than a fresh, juicy tomato picked straight from the garden. Plus, tomatoes are easy to grow. You will want to buy your tomato plants when they are around three inches tall. You can plant them by seed, but if you are a beginning gardener than it is best if you grow them by plant. Make sure you buy tomatoes that are not flowering; that means the plant will have switched from vegetative to reproductive growth and the tomato crop will not be as productive. Make sure you bury the roots of the tomatoes and water the plants regularly. Tomatoes are great because you can harvest them continuously throughout the summer.
  • Lettuces- Lettuces, spinach and leafy greens are another easy crop to grow and hold great nutritional value. They are a good early crop so you should plant them in the spring. Make sure you cover the seed with dirt and water right after planting to help secure the seeds in the dirt. You can do several crops of lettuces. Spring and fall are the best seasons to grow lettuce, but you can harvest lettuces all summer long if you water the plants regularly.
  • Kale- This is not a popular crop, but is one you should put in your garden because you can harvest it all summer long. It is very healthy and yummy. Kale should be planted in late May or June and will tolerate cold weather.
  • Radishes- These hearty guys are great because they can grow in poor soil conditions and can be harvested within a couple weeks of planting.
  • Green beans- These green guys are yummy and easy to grow. It is best to plant green beans by seed once the soil stops freezing. It is probably safe to plant them in May, but you might want to wait until June to be on the safe side. You will be able to harvest fresh green beans for around two weeks, maybe a bit longer depending on the crop. Green beans are also a great vegetable to freeze. If you have a lot of garden room than plant lots of green beans so you have them year-round.
  • Cucumbers- Cucumbers do not like to be transplanted, so make sure you grow them by seed. Cucumbers are great for gardeners because they can be harvested for several months if you plant several crops. Cucumber beetles are all over the United States so it is important to give cucumber plants all the nutrients they need to ensure they are strong enough to fight back against them. If your cucumber plant turns yellow, this means the plant is not getting the nutrients it needs, and you might want to apply some organic fertilizers.
  • Peppers- Peppers are easy to grow and you will have them throughout the whole summer. Bell peppers are green but will turn red if you leave them on the plant longer. You can harvest them either way. Hot peppers are great to grow for those of you who like to spice things up. They are also great for homemade hot sauce! Italia peppers are another good pepper to grow to have a variety of flavors. Make sure to pick Italia peppers when they are red.

Remember to make sure your crops are getting lots of sunlight and water them regularly. Give them plenty of room to grow, and you should have a great summer garden with plenty of healthy food!