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Please recommend a veggie, fruit, or cut flower that you think would be the best for a beginning gardener. I live in sonoma county, ca and will be planting in a raised bed.
For me the easiest vegeatbles are cucumbers(any kind) and green beans. Bush beans don't need any staking but they all come in at once so you would want to plant some every couple of weeks. Pole beans grow continuously but you need to stake them as they get very tall.
Tomatoes are also very good. The most fun….zucchini. Once they start to grow they really jump in size each day.
Zucchini is usually the one even beginners can get a bumper crop from. Pretty much Carefree, one plant will give you enough for your family. Two will give you enough to share Three will make your neighbors hide, cause they will be scared you're going to drop a sack of zucchini off on them.
Not the best time for a beginner to start. I'd recommend something that's pretty bullet proof and drought tolerant. Not much in my yard that would work where you are. Maybe rosemary?
I'd also try to find someone in my neighborhood who's an experienced gardener. See what they're doing now. Robyn
I disagree with the zucchini comments. I've found them to be the most difficult of the 50+ things I grow. Squash vine borers get into every plant and destroy the circulatory system.
Asparagus and okra are pretty easy and draught tolerant. Both would be happy in the 50 degree temp swings.
For California, figs have to be the easiest. Just take a cutting from a tree you like, stick it in the ground, wait a few years then enjoy tons of fruit forever. They are very drought hardy after the first year.
I disagree with the zucchini comments. I've found them to be the most difficult of the 50+ things I grow. Squash vine borers get into every plant and destroy the circulatory system.
Asparagus and okra are pretty easy and draught tolerant. Both would be happy in the 50 degree temp swings.
For California, figs have to be the easiest. Just take a cutting from a tree you like, stick it in the ground, wait a few years then enjoy tons of fruit forever. They are very drought hardy after the first year.
I didn't even think of Figs. but you are right. Super easy and probably as close to indestructible as a plant could be.
I think of the old standbys like marigolds and zinnias. Plant, water, done.
Someone also said sunflowers. They grow all by themselves when the birds drop them on the ground. I pick them up and put them where I want them to grow and just cover them over with a little bit of soil.
Seems like your gardening seasons are similar to mine. Spring and fall. Winter's too cold for the most part and summer is too hot. It's too late to plant for spring now - and too early for the fall. OTOH - Sonoma County has 3 distinct micro-climates where temperatures vary considerably:
Our weather doesn't at all resemble what you find on the Pacific Coast.
I suspect if you look around - you'll be able to find some gardening workshops in your area. Take advantage of them and plan your fall garden. There's nothing worse than planting the wrong thing - or planting something in the wrong place - or planting something at the wrong time. Failure is discouraging. And the best way to insure success IMO is to plant the right things in the right places at the right times (I think all that "green thumb" stuff is a myth - it's mostly right plant/right place/right time).
FWIW - over the summer - you might try some summer herbs. Like basil - which likes heat. Nothing better than a batch of home made pesto. Note that many herbs do not at all like hot weather (my non-summer herbs don't die in the summer - but they go to seed - look ratty as heck and aren't very useful for anything - they perk up in the fall when things cool down).
I would also avoid planting anything expensive like trees now. You're currently on voluntary water restrictions (unless you live in Healdsburg - where they're mandatory). The goal is to lower water consumption by 20%. Unless water consumption is reduced or the drought ends - you're going to wind up with mandatory water restrictions (we have permanent water restrictions where I live). And newly planted trees need more water than established ones. Robyn
I think of the old standbys like marigolds and zinnias. Plant, water, done.
Someone also said sunflowers. They grow all by themselves when the birds drop them on the ground. I pick them up and put them where I want them to grow and just cover them over with a little bit of soil.
You're in New England. All the marigolds and zinnias have been already been fried to a crisp here in Florida (they're late-March to early June things here). One of my favorite go-to hot weather flowering plants is pentas:
But I don't know how they'd do with lots of night temps < 60 (mine start to look bad in October when we get temps like that - but - then again - they've been producing flowers since April - and perhaps they're just tired ). They're cheap enough to toss at the end of the summer.
Another go to summer favorite is "Mexican petunias":
However they're extremely invasive - I plant them in resin "whiskey barrels" to keep them in check. They die back over the winter - but I cut them down in the early spring - and they come back in the late spring. Robyn
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(they're late-March to early June things here). One of my favorite go-to hot weather flowering plants is pentas:
). They're cheap enough to toss at the end of the summer.
