So, you’ve decided to grow your own food and have started browsing seed catalogs and visiting your local nursery for seedlings. Seeing all the options can make you want to grow literally everything or perhaps make you feel overwhelmed with decision making.

Planning your garden and what you’ll grow is not easy but if you follow the guidelines listed below, it will make things a whole lot simpler for you!

Step 1: Grow What You Like to Eat

The first place to start is by making a list of what you like to eat everyday - kale and spinach for a green smoothie, lettuce for salads, tomatoes for everyday cooking, garlic, onions and potatoes for the pantry, strawberries for kids to enjoy. This list is your starting point in deciding the main crops that will grow in your garden each year.

Step 2: Fit Your Lifestyle

Ask yourself how much time you have to maintain your garden each week. If you’re a working professional or have a hectic lifestyle, add more herbs, leafy greens and flowers to your garden to make it low maintenance. Drip irrigation may be a good option to consider as well. Do you have limited growing space? Choose “dwarf”, “bush” or “patio” varieties. Do you want your kids to be involved in the garden? Quick growing crops such as radishes, lettuce, baby carrots and cherry tomatoes are great, as are sweet, fruity plants like sugar snap peas, melons and strawberries.

Step 3: Choose Award Winners 

Each year All America’s Selections (AAS) announces a list of their award winning edible plants that perform really well and have been tested independently on different criteria such as flavor, production, disease resistance etc. Make sure you check out their list of AAS winners to help you choose varieties that will help you grow successfully!

Step 4: Heirlooms vs Hybrids

Heirloom seeds have been passed down for generations and are popular because of their superior flavor. You may know many gardeners who swear by their favorite heirloom tomato and salivate at the thought of a tomato sandwich! The best part is that you can save your own seeds from heirloom plants. Hybrids get a bad rap, but they are actually a gardener’s friend too! When you see words like “F1” after a plant’s name, it means that it can produce higher, more uniform yields. 

Next time you’re planning your garden, ponder on these points and it will help you decide what to grow.