Home » Edible Gardens

Edible Gardens: Best Plants, Tips + Ideas for Your Landscape

INSIDE: Discover the benefits of growing fresh food in this guide to edible gardens. Get vegetable garden design and edible landscaping tips + ideas for raised beds!


Edible gardening is a great way to grow your own fresh fruits and vegetables while also beautifying your outdoor space.

Whether you have a small balcony, a large backyard, or a community garden plot, there are plenty of ways to create an edible landscape.

What is an edible garden?

An edible garden is a garden focused on food production and includes plants that are safe to eat, such as fruits and berries, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers.

It doesn’t have to be big; you can start with a small number of pots or even plant an herb garden in a window box.

When you’re new, it’s best to start with easy-to-grow vegetables.

That’s why I’ve included a list of beginner-friendly vegetables on this page. Keep reading to see my top picks!

What are some easy-to-grow edible garden plants?

The top ten easiest vegetables to grow are:

  1. Radishes
  2. Beans
  3. Beets
  4. Swiss chard
  5. Spinach
  6. Kale
  7. Lettuce
  8. Peas
  9. Summer squash
  10.  Winter squash

What is the easiest edible to grow?

The easiest edible plant to grow is radishes. The seeds are large and easy to plant. And they germinate quickly. Radishes aren’t too fussy about growing conditions, which makes them perfect for first-time gardeners.

What is the fastest-growing edible plant?

Leaf lettuce is the fastest-growing garden vegetable. You can start harvesting lettuce leaves as soon as they’re large enough for a salad, which can take as little as 21 days.

Learn how to grow these edible garden plants

Have limited space? Square foot gardening or growing in raised beds are popular options for small spaces. They allow you to grow more produce in less space.

celery plants growing in a square foot garden

How to Grow Celery at Home the Easy Way: Top Advice + Tips

With its green, crisp stalks, celery is the perfect vegetable for adding juicy crunch to a meal. And even though growing it can be tricky, the earthy, fresh taste and unbeatable crunch of homegrown celery will convince you it’s worth growing. And if you’re up to the challenge, you’ll be rewarded with…
sliced watermelon sitting on a counter

How to Space Your Melon Plants the Right Way for Optimum Growth

I bet that you have a fond memory of eating melons fresh from the garden or farmer’s market… Maybe you remember eating watermelons at summer barbeques … who can forget the deliciously sticky chins and fingers?! Or maybe you can still recall the floral, musky smell of a cantaloupe fresh…

Tips for getting started with edible plants

Edible gardening is a great way to grow your own fresh fruits and vegetables while also beautifying your outdoor space.

  • Start by increasing your soil fertility.
  • Then decide what edible plants you want to grow. 
  • Don’t forget that there are also many edible flowers you can grow.
  • And there are even edible perennials you can add to your garden.

Whether you have a small balcony or a large backyard, there are plenty of options available to suit your needs.

With some care and attention, you can maintain a healthy and productive edible garden that will provide you with fresh, delicious produce all season long!

You’ll find even more edible gardening help in the shop

Garden smarter with my most popular digital products and courses.

what to do when checklists

Get the right things done at the right time.

What To Do When

Monthly Checklists for Busy Gardeners

Take the stress, overwhelm, and guesswork out of gardening with these done-for-you checklists.

smart garden journal

Beautifully organize and track all your gardening info.

Smart Garden Journal Pages

Quickly and easily find the important information you need to make your garden a success every year! Buy once, use forever.

small space, big harvest gardening course logo

Grow more, work less.

Small Space, Big Harvest

The course for busy gardeners who want to grow a wildly productive vegetable garden without all the weeding, watering, or worrying.

Meet your edible landscaping guide

Simply Smart Gardening
Scroll to Top