Need hard-to-kill veggie ideas...

Well, these aren't veggies, but strawberries are awfully hard to kill. I thought cucumbers were pretty easy, too.

We did broccolli and lettuce last year. Both were very easy. I also second strawberries. But I've gotta warn you, they'll take over the whole garden if you're not careful!

I would suggest that you grow what your family enjoys to eat. Go to the library and check out a book. Read up on it, then go to the garden supply store and ask lots of questions. Not Home Depot or Lowes but the specialty shops. Here in California, they have classes at Armstrong's and will teach you. I just went to a tomatoe planting class last week. I thought I knew everything about planting tomatoes but boy was I wrong. The instructor was very informative. Remember to start small to build your confidence up. A large garden can be overwhelming to the beginner.

From my limited knowledge, Beans, Zucchinni, herbs & Strawberries are very easy.

Good Luck!

Ooh, strawberries! We love strawberries! Okay, I didn't think mommy brain lasted TWO YEARS, why didn't I think of just going to the garden center? We have a couple of really great ones in this area! Duh! And I didn't even think of broccoli, we love that too. Thank you all for the suggestions!

We've had success with tomatoes, zucchini and pole beans in the worst of conditions.

Don't forget, with fresh-grown broccoli to soak the florettes in brine to get out the little green wormies that hatch in there. You can't see 'em till you boil them, unless you soak them first.

Hot peppers, in pots or in the ground. We pot them, overwinter them in the basement, then get more peppers the next year!

Eeeew. Litlle green wormies. I had never heard of the brine idea.

We have a garden that doesn't get a lot of sun. We do really well with garlic- SUPER EASY-, beans, squash and chives. Echinacea is easy to grow if you want a pretty, and large flower. Kale is easy, too and can withstand frost later. Yum.

Good luck!

Swiss Chard!!!

A very yummy early green that is nearly impossible to kill, although they do bolt as soon as the weather gets warm.

In case you are not a chard eater already, here's what you do with it. Get a bunch of chard and throw it into the food processor so it is all choppped up into confettii. Store the chard confettii in the freezer (I use yogurt cups). you can dump it into soup, quiche, stew, beans, stir fry... anyplace a little extra green flavor would be nice.

--AmyB

I planted carrots and they did great last year, in our sandy soil. And chamomile, too. It's hardy and self-seeds each year.