First year retired, so what should I plant in my garden for starters?

Start small, being overly ambitious can overwhelm and discourage you, you can always expand next year. An herb garden close to the kitchen, some flowers around where you hang out, some vegetables that you like. Fresh herbs will make you appreciate gardening and cooking, flowers will always brighten your day and fresh veggies can't be beat. If you're going to grow zucchini or cucumbers, one or two plants at most or you'll have zucchini coming out of your ears. Don't get discouraged, it'll take a while to figure out your fertilizers and watering, which plants need more sun and which need less, etc, etc. It's a learning experience and well worth it. And don't be afraid to mix flowers and veggies in the same plot, especially in small areas, works great.,,,,,,, You should see mine when everthing's in bloom,

It would depend on the weather you have and soil conditions. Some

vegetables do better in hotter climates than less hot. For instance

corn stalks need alot of full sun daily. They need the ground warm at

night, not cool. I've never grown corn, due to our damper more cooler

climate. And if it's available locally, it's not until August, late in summer.

I would try some Early Girl tomatoes and any other early growing

plant. Make sure they are far apart, and envision stretched out arms

to know how much space they need. I would try some pickling

cucumbers, which like early morning sun, and they do well against a

foundation for some reason. They require alot of water,like tomatoes, morning and evening in the summer. Squash does well, and in some cases, like zuchini, too well, and they like full sun. Green peppers like a raised bed area for some reason. And they like full sun also. Radishes do well with morning sun and not full overhead all day. Replant more in the same area, for a better crop the second panting in summer.They seem pretty easy to grow. Same with long green onions. Garlic, and onions need full sun. They also do well next to a building foundation.From what I have seen. I had an aunt who used

raised beds for her tomatoes and her cucumbers and she had alot of

production. More so than mine. You can make the foundations

yourself from the building supply stores. And then fill them with the

proper potting soil and other nutrients. They maintain warmth at night

which contributes to more growth within the plant.

In the northern states where the cold weather has been prolonged

spring has just begun. Make sure your evening soil is not cold before

you plant. Start seeds indoors in bright sunlight by a window if you

can. And keep away from drafty areas where cold might enter. Then

transfer the young plant after it's developed to the proper outside

areas.

I hope this has been of help, if you're a first time gardener.

Put in a kitchen garden so you can have your own home-grown flavorful veggies to eat (it'll also cut down on your grocery bill). Then you can learn how to can come harvest time and have food for the winter. And then learn how to use plants like marigolds to cut down on the number of pests so you won't have to use pesticides. Learn to compost and use that nutrient rich stuff in your garden, maybe even start an earthworm box so your whole garden will be self-sustaining and completely environmentally healthy. Drip systems so moisture isn't wasted on evaporation. Etc. You'll have to learn how to rotate plants so next year you plant in a different arrangement because some plants absorb more of certain elements and other plants replenish it. And you can plant flowers around the veggies so you have the best of both.

Trees first - they take time to grow. Pick some ornamental nice trees but I would also plant some fruit baring trees. Nothing like eating a fresh home grown peach or pear.

Think about what you would like to harvest when the growing season ends.

Then it should be your choice - annuals or perennial flowers or some of both.

I loved to do my gardening - I am at the point where I can no longer do it so I am especially glad that I planted a lot of perennials.

Don't forget to plant my favorite fruit/vegetable = tomato's.

DeeJay.

We have started growing basil (alongside tomatoes), red, yellow and green peppers, banana peppers, lettuce. They are all fairly easy. For ideas on what to grow and how to set up a garden, there are many excellent web sites. Just go to Google and/or Yahoo and search for garden help. A lot depends on where you live. There are different growing zones that generally determine what you can grow and when. I'm assuming that you were referring to a vegetable garden, but the same applies to a flower garden . Wishing you the best of luck with it!

We live in a condo but I still have my little herb garden. I planted herbs that I use frequently in the kitchen such as thyme, parsley, basil and cilantro. I also have tomatoes growing in pots since the ones in the market are never as good a sun ripened fresh tomatoes.

Greenbeans are also easy to grow and you can harvest just enough for the evening meal if you didn't plant too many. As someone else recommended squash such as zuccini is easy to grow but you may have more than you can handle and your friends and neighbors may start hiding when you keep offering them more and more.

Depends on where you live for starters. I'd plant all the things you would need for a great salad. It you are in a warm climate, plant corn and squash, green beans. Some herbs. Some veggies for side dishes or soups. I would love to grow asparagus, but it takes a few years for them to produce. Same for artichokes, I think. Have fun! Enjoy! Isn't retirement great?

Plant some asparagus. You can eat the shoots in early spring and then let it grow out into a beautiful flowery bushy plant. It won't produce until the third year.

Plant some blueberries. Beautiful plants with nice flowers in the spring, berries to eat later on and reddish yellow leaves in the fall.

I would plant vegetables with flowers in between as you get the best of both worlds. Start easy and work up from there , plant the things that suit where you live and what you like to eat or admire.

I like to plant pickling cucumbers, very prolific (more female blossoms that set fruit) and they have a better old-fashioned cucumber flavor than store-bought cukes, and usually plant them on a mesh trellis or chain-link fence, easier to pick and they won't go to waste since they aren't overlooked. Asian eggplants are very prolific, they are slender and smaller but set fruit so much faster. A few tomato plants, nothing healthier than vine-ripe tomatoes (have all 8 essential sugars necessary for healing), some green onions, salad greens such as leaf lettuce and spinach, radishes, green beans or pole beans (a few pole bean plants are very prolific, easier to pick than bush-type beans), and herbs. Herbs are easy to plant, don't require feritilizer (which will only dilute flavor) and can be grown in containers or shadier areas. My favorite herbs to grow are lime basil, green dill, cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, French tarragon, summer savory, various mints, and lemon verbena. Some such as parsley, summer savory and French tarragon come up every year here in Oklahoma because the winters aren't that harsh.