20 Easiest vegetables to grow in your home garden

Starting your very own veggie garden is a thrilling and rewarding experience! Not only do you get all the fun out of home gardening, but you also get to enjoy a delicious harvest straight from your backyard! 

If you’re planning your first backyard vegetable garden, this guide will help you pick the easiest vegetables to grow. Keep reading to learn more about these beginner-friendly crops. 

What vegetables are easy to grow in your backyard? 

1. Lettuce  

Skip the store-bought lettuce that turns limp within a few days; Grow your own instead! Lettuce seeds can be sown straight in the ground, and you can start harvesting leaves within a month or so. Just watch out for slugs and pigeons!
 

2. Onions and shallots  

Onions and shallots are two easy to grow crops you shouldn’t forget in your vegetable garden layout! You can grow these from seeds or even from a bulb or two from your pantry. Just chop off the bottom or root part, bury it until only the tip is showing, then wait! You can even use the shoots (onion chives) to add flavour to your dishes.

Once the shoots turn yellow and limp, you can harvest your onions or shallots.

3. Radishes

Some radish varieties are ready for harvest in as fast as four weeks, and they provide continuous crops! Radishes are so easy to grow that you can even let your kids have a go at them. Gardening specialists recommend the “Rainbow Mixed” and “Scarlet Globe” varieties for their flavour and juiciness.
 

4. Potatoes  

Potatoes are fun to grow and can thrive in pots, grow bags, or straight in the soil of your backyard. You can sow them as early as February or as late as April. When you see a few leaves, cover the plant up with more soil and wait for flowers to appear. This encourages more potatoes to grow and stops the crops from becoming green and poisonous. 

You can typically harvest your spuds 2-3 months after sowing.

5. Peas  

Peas are quite easy to grow, and you’ll get to enjoy a sweet freshness you just won’t get from the ones in tins! Make sure you plant your peas in cooler weather and put up chicken wire and stakes to support the plants. Don’t forget to pluck the ripe pods on time to encourage even more growth! 

6. Beans  

Beans are some of the easiest vegetables to grow in your home garden, plus there are hundreds of ways to cook with them! Just like peas, these plants will need stakes and chicken wire or some other form of support. Keep your plants well-watered and pick them regularly to ensure a bountiful harvest!

7. Tomatoes    

Tomatoes can abundantly grow in your yard, in bags, pots, window boxes, or even baskets! Water them regularly and give them enough plant food or fertiliser to keep them healthy. Bush varieties are ideal for beginners since they don’t need support. You can grow these from seeds or look for vegetable seedlings. 

Let your tomatoes ripen on the vine under the sun for some sweet, juicy tomatoes!

8. Courgettes      

Courgettes come from a hard-working plant that can produce up to 30 fruits each! Grow them in your patio containers or backyard, keep them well-watered, and harvest regularly. 

Bonus tip: You can cook and eat courgette flowers, too! Keeping courgettes in your vegetable garden will have you eating tons of delicious recipes for months.
 

9. Beetroot     

Beetroots are another easy-to-grow, versatile plant. Sow the seeds from March to July to enjoy a harvest from May to September. The root itself can be eaten roasted, steamed, or used to make soups. While you’re waiting for it to mature, why not enjoy a salad made with nutritious beet tops? They don’t call beetroots a superfood for nothing!
  

10. Kale        

Kale is another salad green that’s easy to grow. It does best in moist but well-drained soil, plus an area that’s in sun or light shade. You can enjoy your first kale harvest as soon as 2 months after sowing!  

Other easy-to-grow vegetables for your garden

11. Spring onions - Great for salads or stir-frys; Best when planted alongside mint to deter onion fly 

12. Garlic - Bury a couple of cloves in well-drained soil in spring or autumn. Once the leaves turn yellow, they’re ready for picking and drying! 

13. Salad greens - Arugula, rocket, and other greens are generally easy to grow, just like lettuce. 

14. Basil - You can buy a small potted plant if you like, or you can try planting basil seeds for a challenge. 

15. Oregano - This fragrant herb grows quickly, so don’t plant too much of it at once! 

16. Coriander - Unlike other herbs that do better in a greenhouse or windowsill, coriander is a bit sturdier and is fine outdoors in your home garden. 

17. Mint - Make sure you plant this in a pot. Otherwise, it might take over your entire backyard! They also make great companion plants for onions. 

18. Quinoa - Yes, you can grow your own quinoa and use the seeds as a healthy substitute for pasta and rice! This plant happens to thrive in the UK weather. In just a few months, you can cut the seeded stems, hang them up to dry, and wait for the seeds to fall off. 

19. Rhubarb - While rhubarb is very easy to grow, it has a dormancy period of around 2 years. This might be best for those who want low-maintenance veggies.  

20. Chilli - If you like a bit of heat in your cooking, try growing chilli! Cayenne peppers suit the climate in the UK quite well.

☞ Learn more tips: Gardening for beginners

What is the easiest crop to grow in the backyard? 

Courgettes, tomatoes, onions, and radishes often make the list of easy-to-grow, low-maintenance veggies. However, it would really depend on your skill as a gardener and the amount of effort you pour into your backyard. The vegetables on this list are a great place to start for any beginner gardener! 

You can reach out to a local gardener for tips and advice on starting your veggie garden. A gardener can even help plan your vegetable garden layout and get you all set up! With easy crops to grow and the right techniques, anyone can enjoy a lovely vegetable garden at home.