When kept cool, potatoes will store well for months. Photo by Adobe Stock/shanty

Let peppers from the same plant ripen for different lengths of time to get a variety of colors and flavors. Photo by Adobe Stock/sleto

Even if your onion plants don't thrive, you can still eat the greens. Photo by Getty Images/rootstocks

Green beans are easy to grow and can be preserved and enjoyed long after their season is over. Photo by Getty Images/brytta

Radishes are ready to harvest in only a few weeks. Photo by Getty Images/emapoket

Discover the pleasures of gardening by taking on crops that can grow easily in your first garden. Photo by Adobe Stock/goodmoments

If you want to grow a garden next spring, it’s never too early to start planning. One of the best ways to “learn as you go” is to read the seed catalogs that many companies will send for free. One of our favorites, with lots of gardening advice and great color photos, is Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

If you’re a beginner, consider starting with the 10 crops discussed below. All are easy to grow, and this combination offers lots of possibilities for cooking. Some of these crops are best grown by setting out started seedlings, but most are easy to grow from a packet of seeds.

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

2. Salad greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula and corn salad). Pick your favorite, or try a mix — many companies sell mixed packets for summer and winter gardening. Plant the seeds in spring and fall, and you can pick salads almost year-round.

-Advertisement-

3. Green beans. Easy to grow and prolific. If you get a big crop, they freeze well, and they’re also delicious when pickled as dilly beans. Start with seeds after all danger of frost has passed.

4. Onions. Start with small plants, and if they do well, you can harvest bulb onions. If not, you can always eat the greens.