What to plant in my garden
After thinking it over I've decided to not overextend myself so I will plant one or two new fruit or veggies each year instead of trying to plant too many different things at once. Since I already have strawberries, and I am familiar with tomatoes, I will have those, and I will plant cucumbers as my new (to me) crop for this year. If they work out okay then next year I might try broccoli.
I happen to love zucchini, but my husband won't eat them, and my boys will only eat them in ratatouille which only uses so many and you can only make so many times
Cutworms and powdery mildew and possibly whitefly will be your biggest issues.
Wait until after 5/15 to plant.
Put cardboard tubes (from toilet paper) around seedings.
Grow them on a trellis.
These will help with the above problems/pests. But tend to your garden regularly so if you do get something - you can correct it.
I have them in raised beds with a mixture of 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost. I planted three different varieties of plant, partly for cross pollination (I don't know if strawberries need that, but it seemed like a good idea) and partly so I would have fruit at different times of the summer. My plants are actually pretty old but since they put out runners which make new plants the turnover keeps them producing. We lose a few berries to slugs, but for the most part they remain untouched by vermin.truegrid said:
Agree with tomatoes - and love strawberries which I have been able to grow inconsistently - congrats you have done better.
They are MUCH smaller than store bought strawberries, but they taste so much better that I don't care. We pick them, walk across the yard to clean them off with the outdoor spigot, and then eat them right there.
I am especially fond of the strawberries since they are pretty low maintenance. I can't even remember the last time I watered them, it has been a few years. Literally. But they do just fine. Same for fertilizer. They just need weeding.
Try succession planting ...first cool weather crops ..like lettuces and spinach ...then tomatoes followed by squash .then some collards (again) beans can go in every few weeks .. In late summer repeat the lettuces and spinach .
Try varieties of these ..you will surprise yourself and your family too!
It is amazing how much you can harvest from a small raised bed .
If you put the invasive herbs in containers you will be able to stop their spread to other plants .
I put oregano . And mints in large pots ...and try to use trellises with cukea and even squash ..you will get more from the plant ..
Enjoy ...can't you just taste the tomatoes?
..if you purchase tomato plants according to the tomatoes harvest dates ... (early or late ) you can extend the tomato crop into mid fall...
You could grow some of the veggies that are reputed to have a lot of pesticides when grown for market:
https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=dirty+dozen+fruits+and+vegetables&fr=dss_yset_chr
I planted a few strawberry plants in a planter on the deck last year just on a whim and they were amazingly good - such an intense taste when you eat one just off the vine and still warm from the sun. Now I'm a big strawberry fan for the garden.
@ictulips02 - 
I like to grow a variety of tomatoes - some are better for salads and others are great for sauces.I got into canning last year and we're still enjoying canned tomatoes!
Eggplant - both regular, calliope and Japanese eggplant have been really fruitful.
I just put in my potato starters for potatoes. Each year, I grow some new varieties and I get better yields. I just planted some. A few are early season others late season.
I only do container gardening right now, so it's difficult to do "viney" plants like zucchini and cucumbers. I'm trying to do some smaller-scale cucumbers this year - will see how it goes. I just found those two spread out way too much and I didn't have the room.
Carrots are great - took a little while to grow fully, but I did a lot with those last year.
Also consider lettuce and spinach - it forced me to eat more salad for dinner!
Things that didn't work for me: Okra and Peppers (Bell and Poblanos). Okra grew some food, but not enough to bother with.
Oh - and herbs galore!
Good Luck!
If you are doing all produce, I'd suggest you start with a list of what veggies your family likes to eat, and then we can narrow it down to things that grow well here!
I ignored my own advice and ended up planting a gazillion things. We'll see what grows and what doesn't.
spontaneous said:
I ignored my own advice and ended up planting a gazillion things. We'll see what grows and what doesn't.
Go for it!
The gardening supplies cost a LOT, but can be reused year after year after year. The seeds, on the other hand, are very inexpensive. So if my corn, cucumbers, peas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and carrots don't grow then I'm not out that much. The peppers and tomatoes I bought as plants, so they cost a bit more. And since broccoli and brussels sprouts are cool weather crops I'll get a second chance to plant them regardless of whether or not my first plantings pan out.
Of course, I meant to buy three bell pepper plants, and I accidentally grabbed two bell peppers and one jalepeno.
It seems that the reason my strawberry patch was doing so well for so long without being properly tended and without new plants being added was that I was inadvertently practicing "no till" garden. Kind of like "benign neglect" for the plant world. It was doing great (no need for fertilizer, the soil wasn't compacting, LOTS of worms) until the stinging nettle incident. When it first sprouted up in the yard I wanted to remove all of it immediately, but Family Member Who Will Not Be Named had promised to keep the stinging nettle confined to one small area. Instead it had quickly spread and infested other portions of the yard including my planting box. As a result we now have a zero tolerance policy on stinging nettle in the yard. Zero. Another relative has foolishly offered up a portion of their yard for her stinging nettle if she so wants.
For seeds check out the soon to be released seed exchange at the Maplewood Library, You "borrow" what you want and then "return" seeds from what you planted so the next gardener can "borrow" them.
I don't care for zucchini, but have had luck with summer squash at homes where I had sun.
Here, I can't even get a tomato plant to produce---even when I put it in a container and move it around during the day to follow my small patch of sun as it moves through the yard.
I've made mistakes in the planning and placement, but overall I'm thrilled with my garden so far and will chalk up all my mistakes and things not to do next year
My son says "It's like a little supermarket!"
Broccoli
Brussels sprout buds
Cherry tomatoes
Regular tomatoes
Thank you! 
One thing I have learned is that from now on the tomato plants will get their own box. They've taken over the box and are choking out all the other plants. They're actually trying to grow out of the box now. It is unreal. I may have to start calling them Audry
Wow ! You have done well ..recording your garden and what you like and dislike is an amazing help in the next season
Congrats for this year ..it is such fun to see what little seeds produce
Not to mention those little carrots have an intensely awesome taste!!!
An the carrot tops are great chopped into a salad!!!
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Due to a large tree dying of old age more of the yard is now full sun, and @Scully agreed to me planting more produce in the yard. I am looking for suggestions.
I am going to have a raised bed, 3'x12'
I'm told that zucchini are easy, but very prolific and since I am the only one in the family that eats zucchini (unless it is in ratatouille) planting that does not seem like a good idea.
I am considering cucumbers. I remember my grandmother growing those and both of my boys love them.
What else is easy to grow in our climate?