One of the positive activities that many of us are doing as a result of the pandemic is growing our own vegetables. Whether this is out of a desire for increased food security or simply because we are spending more time at home and looking for creative ways to spend our time, growing our own food offers many benefits. Growing our own food makes us more likely to consume what we have grown and when we have extra, we can give it to our family, neighbours or a local food bank.
Vegetables are usually categorized as cool season or warm season, depending on the best time to plant them. Cool season crops should be planted in early spring and fall since they prefer cooler weather and can even tolerate a light frost.
Warm season vegetables should be planted in summer when there is no threat of spring frost.

Cool-season Vegetables
Asparagus, carrots, radishes, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Swiss chard, leeks, onion peas, spinach, turnips.
Warm-season Vegetables
Beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, squash, peppers, pumpkin, eggplant, sweet potato, corn
Peas
If you start planting your peas in the ground in April or May, they should be ready to eat in July and August. Vining peas do require support so use a trellis or wire mesh to support stems. The trellis will provide the added benefit of leaving more space in your garden since your peas will be growing upright. It’s also easier to pick peas that are on a trellis. You should reap a large bounty of peas are known to produce a lot. They do require at least six hours of full sun to produce a healthy harvest.
Lettuce
Lettuce is a cool-season vegetable so you can plant it early. Make sure you water it enough and plant it in a section of your garden where it does not receive too much mid-day sun. Sow lettuce seeds in the garden by planting them 1/4 inch deep. Be sure to plant lettuce where the soil drains well. Lettuce requires soil that contains nitrogen and potassium so add compost or manure to existing soil for the best results.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are warm-weather crops that require a lot of water and sun. They grow quickly and one plant should produce enough crop for a family. Choose a cherry or grape tomato or a bush variety such as Romello tomato if you prefer to plant them in a window box.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers, a warm-season crop, grow on vines and require a lot of water. You can coach the vines to grow on a trellis, which makes them easy to pick. Cucumbers do require a lot of sunlight so plant them in gardens that face south or west which receive 6-8 hours of sun per day.
Zucchini
One of the easiest vegetables to grow is zucchini. Although it is a warm season vegetable, it should be planted by May to give it the time it needs to grow. When the weather gets cooler in the early fall, zucchini is susceptible to mildew. If this happens, get a spray bottle, combine a teaspoon of baking soda with a quart of water and shake well. Spray each leaf with mildew every day until the spots disappear. Two zucchini plants should produce plenty of crop for a large family.
Remember to mulch your vegetable garden regularly, which will reduce the need to use so much water.
I hope you enjoy cultivating your garden with the easiest vegetables to grow. Once your crop is ready, you might be interested in making this recipe: “Gazpacho Recipe Made with the Braun PureMix Blender“.
After all your effort, find out “How to Prevent Animals from Eating Your Vegetable Garden“.
This is really helpful! My kids are really into learning how things grow lately. We’ll have to try out one of these ideas!
You’re right! We started growing our vegetables again because of the pandemic. It’s very sustainable and productive way to spend our time.
Yes, growing vegetables offers so many benefits! You get to spend time outside in your garden, plus you get delicious vegetables and can save on your grocery bill! Cheers, Lori
Growing vegetables is a great idea if you have the space for it. I had no idea zucchini was an easy vegetable to grow – first on my list when I have room!
Yes, it’s true that you do need room to grow vegetables. I love zucchini too! Cheers, Lori
I tried growing some cherry tomatoes in a pot. OMG, I did not know they’d grow that big. But anyway, it did give me some delicious cherry tomatoes! I should try planting some again. Lettuce would be nice to have too.
Yes, those tomato plants do get pretty big. But yes, cherry tomatoes are delicious and I’m glad you got many from your plant! Cheers, Lori
I have been meaning to create and make my own garden here at home. I just need some soil and use the empty milk cartons as pot.
Yes, you can create a garden anywhere! Cheers, Lori
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