What to Plant in Your Garden: A Realistic Beginner’s Guide
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Let me save you from the two-hour internet spiral: you don’t need a chart, a downloadable planner, or seventeen YouTube videos to figure out what to plant in your garden.
You just need to ask yourself one question:
“What do I actually want to eat?”
That’s it. That’s the magic formula. Planting your garden (especially if you’re just starting out) isn’t about what’s trendy or what looks cute on Instagram. Unless you’re into impressing people with Pinterest-perfect produce you’ll never cook, your garden should be full of stuff you’re actually excited to harvest—and toss on your plate.
So, today we’re just going to start with this:
What do you actually like to eat?
What would make you super pumped to walk outside and pick?
That right there is your answer to what you should plant in your garden.
This post is part of my Stupid Simple Gardening series—real talk and no-pressure help for folks who want to grow food without all the complicated nonsense.
How do gardening zones relate to planting my garden?
Gardening zones exist. You might want to know what gardening zone you’re in. It’s sometimes helpful to know what will grow where, and when. But also?
They’re not gospel.
You’ll hear advice like “You can’t grow that in Zone 4” or “That crop will never work in your climate.”
And you know what? Sometimes that advice is right. But sometimes it’s total hogwash.
Gardening zones don’t factor in things like:
- Microclimates
- That one sunny pocket behind your garage
- That corner of your yard that stays 10 degrees warmer (or colder) all spring
- That one year where it got really warm really fast (or never seemed to warm up at all).
- Magic, and stuff
I have relatives growing Rainier cherry trees in Minnesota. Rainier cherry trees that “should not” be thriving in zone 4. And yet? They are. And have for years.
A note on when to plant your garden
My great-uncle lived through the Depression. He passed away in the early 2010s, but I learned a lot from him. He was the kind of guy who kept seeds in his pockets and would toss them around the garden just to see what would happen.
I asked him once why he was planting so early. It was the second week of April (our last frost date here is mid-May) and the forecast was still hinting at snow.
He just looked at me and said: “Who says it’s too early?”
Then he tossed another seed towards the ground and said, “If there’s a late freeze, I’ll plant again. And if I don’t have to replant? Well, then I’m ahead.”
I’ve carried that advice and sass with me ever since. I mean, It’s not like they take away your birthday if you plant too early. You simply might have to replant. That’s all.
So… what should you plant?
Here’s your stupid simple list of what you should plant in your garden:
- Something you love to eat
- Something that grows in your general climate
- Something that makes you feel excited (or curious)
- Something you won’t cry over if it doesn’t work out
If you’ve always wanted to try tomatoes? Do it. Curious about carrots? Throw some in. Love to eat green beans? Go for it!
But don’t plant kale if you know you don’t like kale. There’s no reason for having that kind of negativity in your life.
Fancy seeds are optional when you plant your garden
So you have decided what to plant in your garden. Where are you supposed to get your seeds? Because there are approximately ten thousand influencers on the internet telling you their favorite heirloom seed company—each one “the best” for very specific reasons. And you know what? A lot of them are awesome. I’ve got my favorites, too. (Namely, Seed Treasures, Seed Savers Exchange, and Baker Creek Seeds.)
But here’s the deal:
You don’t need to have the perfect seed source to grow food.
Some of my best gardens have started with seeds picked up from the grocery store end cap. Other years? I’ve ordered from the fancy places, started all my seeds indoors, done it all “right”… and still ended up rebuilding my garden from whatever seedlings the local hardware store had left after a surprise torrential downpour flattened everything in my garden right after transplanting.
Grow what you can, with what you can find.
Yes, it’s fun to support great seed companies. But you’re not failing if this year’s garden gets patched together with leftover seedlings and discount seeds from the clearance rack.
Food is food. Growth is growth. Start where you are.
Got it? Good. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how much space you really need in that awesome garden of yours. (Spoiler: it’s less than you think. And yes, you can grow in a tote.)
Did you miss yesterday’s post about How to Start a Garden Without Overthinking It?
