What to Plant...

So you have your garden area all ready and want to start planting. If the weather is good you may want to start with seeds but for beginners it may be easier to purchase some bedding out plants.

One VERY important thing to remember no matter what you choose is to water on a regular basis or all your hard work will be for nothing.

Be sure to check with your local municipality in regards to watering as there may be water restrictions in place and you may have specific days and times that you can water. Setting an irrigation system up on a timer works wonders in this regard and that you you never forget to water.

1. Radishes. Radishes do well even in not-so-great garden soil and are ready to harvest in only a few weeks. 

2. Salad greens. Lettuce, spinach, arugula...pick your favorite, or try a mix. Plant the seeds in spring and fall, and you can pick salads almost year-round.

3. Green beans. Easy to grow and prolific. Start with seeds or plants after all danger of frost has passed.

4. Onions. Start with small plants, and if they do well, you can harvest bulb onions or eat the greens.

5. Strawberries. Perfectly ripe strawberries are unbelievably sweet, and the plants are surprisingly hardy. Buy bare-root plants in early spring. Put this perennial in a sunny spot and keep it well weeded or grow in a pot.

6. Peppers. Both hot peppers and bell peppers are easy to grow especially in our California sun. Start with plants and let peppers from the same plant ripen for different lengths of time to get a range of colors and flavors.

7. Bush zucchini. This squash won't take up as much room in your garden as many other types, and it’s very prolific. You won't need more than a few plants for a bumper crop.

8. Tomatoes. Nothing tastes as wonderful as a homegrown tomato, and it’s hard to go wrong when you start with strong plants. 

9. Basil or Cilantro. Fresh herbs are very tasty and basil is a good choice because it’s a nice complement to tomatoes. Basil is easy to grow from seeds or from transplants.

10. Potatoes. Its hard to go wrong with potatoes as hey are one of the most versatile veggies out there and very hardy.

And before you know it you have all the ingredients for fresh salsa!