It can be difficult to figure out how to begin your first garden.

You might not know where to start, but trust me, with summer approaching there’s no better time than now to begin working on it. Here are some simple solutions for first time gardeners looking for beautiful flowers or wholesome vegetables to begin a beautiful and bountiful summer garden.

10. Green Beans

Green beans are a great vegetable for beginning gardener. They require sunlight, a soil temp. above 48 degrees Fahrenheit and regular watering. These plants may also require some stalks to support their growth in later stages, they should be planted three inches apart.

9. Radishes

Radishes should be planted in the spring or early summer, either way it must be at least four to six weeks from the last frost. The seeds need to be buried one half inch deep in rows they must be one inch apart from each-other and the rows must be twelve inches apart from each other (remember these are root vegetables). They need lots of sunlight, water, and must be rotated (moved to another planting location) every three years.

8. Zucchini

For Zucchini to properly grow the soil temperature must rise above sixty degrees Fahrenheit, so plant at or near the height of summer. Like the other vegetables we have seen they need water and sunlight, but these will require a good bit more water than green beans or radishes. They will also require more space: plant them three to four feet apart in rows that are eight to twelve feet apart. When growing zucchini, it is important to remember that they need lots of three things: space, sun, and water.

7. Carrots

Carrots take a bit of time to mature (two to three months) so you should begin planting a bit earlier, about two to three weeks before the last expected frost (don’t worry they’ll make it!) and keep planting the carrot seeds every two weeks after that until summer is in full swing. You can then plan to harvest two to three weeks before the first expected frost. Plant one half inch deep, and one-half inch apart in rows that are three to four inches apart.

6. Tomatoes

Tomatoes should be planted early in the summer in spot with plenty of sunlight, you will need something (stake, or cage) to hold them up. Use regular gardening soil but mix in a healthy amount of compost for best results. You should also use mulch to prevent the spread of weeds that sometimes attach themselves to attach to tomato plants.

5. Lettuce

Lettuce might be the trickiest plant on this list to grow, but don’t worry its not so difficult. Really it just requires soil with plenty of compost as well as a steady supply of nitrogen to keep healthy. Lettuce should be planted eight inches apart in rows twelve inches apart. It is important to plant them no more than one frost away from spring/summer.

4. Marigold

Marigolds are quite simple to grow: simply wait until the soil is warm to the touch, plant in full sunlight and water occasionally, they only really need water if the soil has been dry for a few weeks or if they are in containers.

3. Cucumbers

To grow cucumbers simply plant the seeds in the height of summer (soil must be in the seventy-degree range) 40 to sixty inches apart in partial sunlight. Use a stake, trellis, or fence to train and support them as they grow.

2. Sunflowers

Sunflowers require direct sunlight for most of the day and must be plant in loose, warm soil. They should be planted three to five inches away from each other and given a stake for support when the grow taller than a foot or so.

1. Cranesbill

Finally, we come to cranesbill, a beautiful and simple flower that is also quite easy to care for. In fact, all it requires is partial sunlight, fertile soil (organic, minimal nitrates) and occasional watering when it becomes dry. Plant un one-half inch of dirt, one or two inches away from other flowering plants.

by Catalogs.com Info Guru Lauren DeJesus-Glasgow