Spring is right around the corner, and those empty garden beds are basically calling your name. Over 35% of new gardeners quit after one season because they picked the wrong plants.
Not you. Not here.
I put together 10 easy-to-grow vegetables that will take your spring garden from “Is that just dirt?” to “Whoa, you grew all this?!”
Even if every houseplant you’ve touched has died, these veggies will make you look like you know exactly what you’re doing.
1. Lettuce: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
People often think greens are tricky, but lettuce is always ready to show up. Plant once, and you can harvest many times.
The funny thing most plant folks don’t mention is that lettuce likes some shade. While other veggies want full sun, lettuce is happier in partial shade and cooler weather. Too much sun makes it bolt fast, like a kid running away from chores.
2. Spinach: The Cold-Weather Warrior
If lettuce is the helpful friend, spinach is the tough one who wears a T-shirt in cold weather. It grows strong even when temperatures dip.
Get spinach in the ground early, before the heat shows up. Once hot weather hits, spinach will shoot out flower stalks, and the leaves taste bitter. Plant early for the sweetest harvest.
3. Radishes: For the Impatient Gardener
Want fast results? Radishes are your speed stars. They go from seed to plate in just 3–4 weeks. It’s like the microwave version of gardening, but healthier.
They add a splash of color at ground level while everything else is still waking up. Those leafy tops popping out of the soil are the first sign that something is actually growing!
4. Carrots: The Frost-Loving Sweethearts
Carrots don’t ask for much besides loose, well-drained soil. Then they pretty much handle themselves. The real surprise is that a little frost makes them sweeter.
When it gets cold, carrots turn starch into sugar, nature’s free flavor upgrade.
5. Peas: The Climbers With Benefits
Peas are spring powerhouses. They taste great and boost your soil by adding nitrogen. They love cool weather, especially sugar snap peas. The snack candy of the garden.
Give peas a trellis to climb. Without support, they flop around like teens on the couch. A simple trellis keeps them neat and productive.
6. Green Onions: The Zombie Vegetable
Green onions feel like magic. They can grow again from kitchen scraps. Cut them, and they come back over and over.
They’re ready in just a few weeks. Cut an inch above the roots, and they’ll regrow. It’s like having endless free food.
7. Kale: The Nutritional Powerhouse
Even if kale smoothies aren’t your thing, you have to respect this plant. Kale grows for months, continually putting out leaves.
Most people pull the whole plant. Instead, pick the outer leaves and let the center keep growing. One plant can feed you from spring to fall.
8. Zucchini: The Overachiever
Zucchini grows like that friend who brings way too much food to a potluck. One day it’s tiny, and soon you’re swimming in zucchini.
As spring warms up, it goes wild. You might even end up sneaking zucchini onto neighbors’ porches just to share the extra.
9. Beets: The Two-for-One Special
Beets are actually two veggies in one. The roots and leaves are both edible, so nothing goes to waste.
Plant them in cool spring weather for sweeter roots. Their bright red color comes from betalains, antioxidants. Good looks + nutrition in one.
10. Bush Beans: The Space-Saving Superstars
Short on space? Bush beans are perfect. They grow compact but give a solid harvest.
They produce from late spring into summer. Pick beans when they’re small and tender. They taste better, and the plant keeps making more.
Your Spring Garden Success Plan
Growing vegetables isn’t hard. It’s all about choosing plants that like spring weather. These 10 veggies are beginner-friendly, quick to reward you, and forgiving when you make mistakes. You’ll be picking your own food while others are still deciding what to plant.
Match the plant to the weather, give basic care, and get ready to walk through your garden feeling like a plant pro. Soon, your backyard will be the one everyone talks about, and you won’t even break a sweat.