Also we are well into spring (at least in the northern hemisphere), why is this sub so dead? Gardening is praxis, even if you don't have much outdoor space you can always stick tomatoes and peppers in containers! That's how I got started.
The deer, rabbits, and rodents in my area are absolutely brutal (cursed suburbs) so I have to keep that in mind with everything I grow.
I didn't get a chance to set up a proper veggie garden this year, so I'm mixing in a few with my flower beds. Jalapenos, plum and brandywine tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, and basil.
For flowers I am trying to stick to natives or their hybrids/cultivated versions as much as possible. I sowed poppy, larkspur, calendula, marigolds, nemophila, nasturtium, and sunflowers directly in the dirt, and most of them have sprouted already, which is a pleasant surprise since it's the first time I've direct sowed and I really didn't expect much to grow.
I started columbine, catmint, coleus, cosmos, snapdragons, delphinium, lavender, milkweed, and a ton of foxglove in trays. They are all about ready to go in the ground here in 7A, except for the lavender which is slow as shit.
Ordered a ton of daffodils and alliums to plant in the fall since those never get touched by hungry animals.
Also growing some shrooms for the first time in my basement but I don't know if it counts for this sub lol
Old shit: A few clusters of chives and oregano that survived the winter. And, I stick green onion roots in the dirt to keep them growing. They also survived the winter.
New shit: A couple cherry tomatoes, a couple regular tomatoes, and a fatty beefsteak style tomato. An Italian pepper, an ancho pepper, little round peppers (I forget the name), and a ton of jalapeños. My pepper yields are usually pretty low, so I am trying a pruning technique to get more from the plant. And, an eggplant because I hate myself and try to grow them even though I fail. Any eggplant tips are welcome.
I gave up on growing basil because the Japanese beetles can be really bad in my area. I covered them with insect cloth, I dusted them with diatomaceous earth, I sprayed insecticidal soap, I planted marigolds to attract beneficial insects; it was a never ending fight. Gardening is something I enjoy so I want to focus on the things that do well and don't require a ton of intervention beyond some pruning here and there.
I've dealt with really bad Japanese beetles on basil in the past, I know the feeling. Hoping that it won't be the case this year, or that I can win with numbers since 23/24 seedlings survived until transplant.
if you've never grown tomatoes before prepare to be blown away how good they are
also make sure to prune the suckers (new growth between two branches) so you get more tomatoes
I've grown tomatoes for years, but haven't had too much luck with peppers or eggplant. It didn't occur to me until this year that pepper plants might need pruning also.