That’s the best gardening tip there is! Grow what you eat or what you are going to eat.
Make a List
What do you and your family like to eat? List your top 5-10 favourite meals.
Make a Second List
What are the ingredients in those meals? Then, go through that list and look for:
Ingredients that show up several times
Ingredients that you can grow
Make a Third List
Looking at the above list of things that you can grow and that can be used in a number of recipes:
What do you want to grow?
And that is where you start. Now you have to mesh that with the amount of space you have, the time you have, the environment you have, the passion you have for growing your own food.
It’s ok to be selective. It’s ok to “dream big and think small”.
Sample Checklist
Asparagus
Basil
Beans
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplants
Garlic
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Melons
Onions
Oregano
Potatoes
Radishes
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Spinach
Strawberries
Squash
Swiss Chard
Thyme
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watermelon
Next Step?
Start from seed? Or buy plant starts/seedlings?
A great way to start is to let the experienced people get the plants started for you.
But, there are many seeds that can be planted directly into your garden, depending on your environment and growing season. But, that’s another story.