The 25 Easiest Vegetables and Fruits to Grow in Your Garden

Are you ready to embark on a journey to grow your own delicious fruits and vegetables right in your backyard? Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner looking to try your hand at gardening, there’s something truly satisfying about being able to harvest your own produce. To make your gardening experience even more enjoyable, we’ve compiled a list of the 25 easiest vegetables and fruits to grow in your garden.

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Why Should You Grow Your Own Garden?

Before we dive into the list, let’s talk about why growing your own garden can be so rewarding. Not only does it save you money at the grocery store, but it also allows you to connect with nature, reduce your carbon footprint, and enjoy the freshest produce possible. Plus, there’s something special about the farm-to-table experience that can’t be replicated by store-bought produce.

Easy-to-Grow Vegetables for Your Garden

Green Beans
Are you a beginner gardener? Green beans are a must to grow first. They are easy to grow and one of the fastest-growing vegetables on the list—they’re often ready to pick after 45-55 days after planting. To start, make sure the soil is well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic. Plant your seeds in your choice of bed and make sure it’s positioned in direct sunlight for at least six to eight hours every day.
Bell Peppers
The mouthwatering tastes and colors of bell peppers aren’t the only things we love about these easy-to-grow vegetables. Bell peppers are effortless to grow once you plant them in fertile, well-drained soil after the last frost of the season. You can plant them in either the ground or containers, but make sure their placement is in the full sun for at least six to eight hours a day.
Cucumbers
Whether you like them pickled or with a dash of salt, enjoy all kinds of cucumber recipes after easily growing them in your backyard garden. Like bell peppers, the best time to plant cucumbers is after the last frost of the season in fertile, well-drained soil. With proper care, your plant should be ready to pick from in as little as six weeks.

Cucumbers Love Trellises: Since cucumbers are a vining plant, they’ll love growing up a trellis. It provides a place for the cucumber to cling to and adds more ground room for the rest of your crops.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes, a ripe garden staple, are one of the best vegetables to have in your garden for their ease of growth and incredible versatility. With so many types of tomatoes available to plant, it’s easy to grow your favorite meal addition or salad topping. Tomatoes grow best in well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic soil but require watering every day. Don’t forget your trellis to offer additional support and protection.
Basil
Basil combines the best of sweet and savory notes as the perfect complement to almost any kind of dish. Basil has the same growing needs as tomatoes but needs to be planted when the frost is completely gone. Place your basil seeds in their own containers or use them as a tomato companion plant for your herb addition to take form.
Strawberries
While you’re planting savory veggies, why not add a few sweet fruits to the mix? Strawberries are super easy to grow. They can grow in nearly any type of bed as long as their roots have room to grow. Sit your strawberry plants in full sun and well-drained, sandy soil, and in 60-90 days, you’ll be ready to harvest!
Onions
Not only are onions easy to grow, but they are also super easy to manage. You can plant them either from seeds or sets, and they can handle the smaller space of containers. Onions need to be planted in loose, well-drained, and fertile soil with lots of organic matter. Also, they love the sun, so make sure they sit in full sunlight to grow properly.
Rosemary
Not only is rosemary easy to grow, but it’s easy to maintain. Grow this herb from a seedling from your nearby garden center and plant it in well-drained, loamy, and slightly acidic soil. Rosemary likes the full sun to reach its full growth in 6-12 months but can tolerate partial shade.
Chives
Though chives have ties to green onions, they are not a vegetable but an herb. Chives love to grow in containers from seed or seedlings and only take about 60 days to grow. Make sure the soil is well-drained, fertile, and moist and in full sun or partial shade.
Parsley
- Parsley is another herb staple with variety in growing placement. This herb can grow in either planters or containers but does take a little bit to get growing (6 weeks, to be exact). When adding parsley to your garden, ensure the soil is well-drained, loamy, and slightly acidic in full sun or partial shade.

Easy-to-Grow Fruits for Your Garden

Carrots
- Carrots are an easy-to-grow vegetable that you plant from seed and nurture until they sprout fully in about 70 days. They can grow year-round if they are planted in the spring or fall. Keep them in loose, well-drained soil and make sure they’re planted in a spot that gets full sun. Carrots grow best in the ground or in raised beds instead of containers.

Growing Tip: Carrots grow best in the ground or in raised beds instead of containers. Containers do not provide the best airflow or room for these plants to flourish.

Potatoes
- Like tomatoes, the best part about potatoes is that there are several types to choose from to grow. Growing this beloved starch is easy as long as the plant gets full sun for at least 6 hours and regular watering. Potatoes can be grown from seed or set in the ground, raised beds, or a container. Just make sure the soil is well-drained, loose, and loamy with high organic matter.
Zucchini
- Though several vegetables on our list are ready to plant when it’s still chilly, zucchini is not as forgiving of cooler weather. Zucchini grows best when the temperatures stay consistently in the 70s and when there’s plenty of room to spread out in the full sun. Because of the space requests, zucchini should be planted at least 3 feet apart from each plant.

Harvesting Tip: When growing zucchini, keep your eye on how big your produce is getting. It’s best to pick your harvest when the zucchini is small or medium-sized.

Squash
- Yellow squash is in the same family as zucchini, which means it’s just as easy to grow. They require the same planting, space, and growing needs as zucchini and are a great companion plant for your garden.
Radishes
- If you’re looking for a laid-back vegetable to grow, we highly recommend radishes. Their seeds can be planted in the spring and fall for a year-round crop in well-drained, sandy soil. Radishes like sunlight like most plants, but they can tolerate partial shade.
Lettuce
- Make your own salad creation at home from the yummy leafy lettuce grown in your very own garden. Choose your favorite leafy lettuce before planting in the spring or fall and be ready to harvest about a month after planting.

Made for the Shade: Lettuce only needs about 4 hours of sunlight each day, so it’s fine to sit in a shadier spot.

Asparagus
- Other than its nutritional benefits, asparagus is a wonderful easy-to-grow vegetable that’s also a perennial. You only need to plant it once to have it for up to 15 years. Choose either seeds or crowns to start your planting in well-drained, fertile, sandy, and loamy soil.

Worth the Wait: You will have to stay dedicated to your asparagus plant since it takes at least two years before it’s time to harvest. But if you ask us, it’s worth it!

Broccoli
- Belonging to the cabbage family, broccoli is an easy-to-grow vegetable that needs well-drained, moist, and high organic matter soil. Choose from either seeds or sets to plant in the spring for your heads to grow.
Peas
- Peas are another vegetable that can be planted in the early spring or fall for a year-round crop. They are cold-tolerant and can be planted as soon as the soil is workable. Peas need well-drained, slightly acidic soil and full sun. Pick them off the vine as soon as possible to prevent spoiling.

Easy-to-Grow Berries for Your Garden

Blueberries
- Blueberries are easy to grow for a sweet treat or beautiful scenery in your landscape design. Plant the seeds in acidic soil and give at least an inch of water a week. It can take between six to eight years for the plant to mature fully.

Growing Tip: Avoid planting blueberries near trees as these plants can compete for water and nutrients and block the sun.

Blackberries
- Blackberries are another fruit easy to grow. They mostly prefer planting in the spring and in well-drained, acidic soil. Some plant varieties have specific requirements, so do your homework on your exact variety for what you need to prep. Blackberry plants come in two growing types: erect and trailing.
Figs
- Figs are easy to grow and maintain, making them a win-win for every home garden. Plant figs in the early spring or late fall in moist, well-drained soil. Figs are not a fast-growing fruit, but once mature, the plant will start to produce in about three to five years.
Apples
- Apples are easy to grow but take a few years to see rewards. Once your apple tree is planted, continue to nurture the plant for at least six years. Choose your type of apple tree and plant it in your zone’s hardiness.

Easy-to-Grow Herbs for Your Garden

Thyme
- Thyme is a perennial shrub that’s easy to grow and a great complementary factor in your dishes. To get started with this herb, plant the seeds or seedlings in well-drained, sandy, or loamy soil.
Cilantro
- Cilantro is a fast-growing herb that can be planted in a pot or in the ground. Plant the seeds after the last frost in well-drained and nutrient-rich soil. You can expect to pick from your harvest in as little as three months.

With these 25 easy-to-grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a bountiful harvest from your own garden. So grab your gardening tools and get ready to experience the joy of growing your own produce from scratch!