Plant	Type	Sun	Water Needs	Soil pH	How to Plant	When to Plant	Fall Planting?	Days to Harvest / Bloom Time	Spacing	Care Notes
Bell Pepper	Vegetable	Full sun	Moderate	6.0-6.8	Start indoors, transplant	Early Jun	Zones 9-10 only	60-90 days	18-24 in	Needs warm soil; slow in cool weather.
Carrot	Vegetable	Full sun	Moderate	6.0-6.8	Direct sow	May	Yes, most zones	60-80 days	2-3 in	Direct sow. Keep seedbed moist until sprouted.
Cucumber	Vegetable	Full sun	High	6.0-7.0	Direct sow or transplant	Early Jun	Zones 8-10	50-70 days	12-36 in	Trellis to save space and keep fruit clean.
Garlic	Vegetable	Full sun	Low	6.0-7.0	Plant cloves	Sep - early Oct	Fall is the main season	8-9 months	4-6 in	Plant cloves in fall, harvest the next summer.
Green Beans (bush)	Vegetable	Full sun	Moderate	6.0-7.0	Direct sow	Late May - Jun	Zones 7-10	50-60 days	4-6 in	Direct sow; do not transplant. Fixes its own nitrogen.
Kale	Vegetable	Full sun to part shade	Moderate	6.0-7.5	Direct sow or transplant	Late Apr - May	Yes, most zones	50-65 days	12-18 in	Flavor sweetens after a light frost.
Lettuce	Vegetable	Full sun to part shade	Moderate	6.0-7.0	Direct sow or transplant	Late Apr - May	Yes, most zones	30-60 days	6-12 in	Cool-season crop; bolts in heat. Give afternoon shade in warm zones.
Onion	Vegetable	Full sun	Moderate	6.0-7.0	Sets or transplants	Late Apr - May	Zones 7-10	90-120 days	4-6 in	Choose short-day types in the South, long-day in the North.
Potato	Vegetable	Full sun	Moderate	5.0-6.5	Seed potatoes	May	Zones 9-10 (Sep - Oct)	70-120 days	12 in	Hill soil around stems as they grow.
Radish	Vegetable	Full sun	Moderate	6.0-7.0	Direct sow	Late Apr - May	Yes, all zones	22-30 days	1-2 in	Fastest crop; good for beginners and kids.
Spinach	Vegetable	Full sun to part shade	Moderate	6.5-7.5	Direct sow	Apr - May	Yes, most zones	35-50 days	4-6 in	Cool-season crop; bolts quickly in warm weather.
Tomato	Vegetable	Full sun	Moderate	6.2-6.8	Start indoors, transplant	Late May - early Jun	Zones 8-10 only	60-85 days	24-36 in	Stake or cage. Water at the base to limit leaf disease.
Zucchini / Summer Squash	Vegetable	Full sun	Moderate	6.0-7.5	Direct sow	Early Jun	Zones 8-10	45-60 days	24-36 in	Pick small and often to keep plants producing.
Basil	Herb	Full sun	Moderate	6.0-7.5	Start indoors or direct sow	Early Jun	No	30-60 days	10-12 in	Pinch off flower buds to keep leaves coming. No frost tolerance.
Cilantro	Herb	Full sun to part shade	Moderate	6.2-6.8	Direct sow	May	Yes, most zones	30-45 days	6-8 in	Cool-season herb; bolts in heat. Sow every few weeks.
Mint	Herb	Full sun to part shade	High	6.0-7.0	Nursery plant	May	Zones 8-10	Harvest anytime	18-24 in	Spreads aggressively; grow in a container.
Parsley	Herb	Full sun to part shade	Moderate	6.0-7.0	Start indoors or direct sow	May	Zones 7-10	70-90 days	6-8 in	Slow to germinate; soak seed overnight.
Blueberry	Fruit	Full sun	Moderate	4.5-5.5	Nursery plant	May	Zones 6-10	Year 2-3 onward	4-6 ft	Needs acidic soil. Plant two varieties for better fruiting.
Strawberry	Fruit	Full sun	Moderate	5.5-6.8	Bare-root or plugs	Late Apr - May	Zones 7-10	Spring to summer	12-18 in	Mulch with straw to keep berries off the soil.
Black-Eyed Susan	Flower	Full sun	Low	6.0-7.0	Nursery plant or seed	May	Yes	Summer to fall	12-18 in	Native perennial; reseeds freely.
Coneflower (Echinacea)	Flower	Full sun	Low	6.0-7.0	Nursery plant or seed	May	Yes	Summer to fall	18-24 in	Native perennial; drought tolerant once established.
Daylily	Flower	Full sun to part shade	Low	6.0-7.0	Bare-root or nursery plant	May	Yes	Summer	18-24 in	Very forgiving. Divide clumps every 3-4 years.
Hosta	Flower	Part shade to full shade	Moderate	6.0-7.5	Bare-root or nursery plant	May	Yes	Foliage; summer bloom	18-36 in	Top shade plant. Slugs and deer are the main problems.
Marigold	Flower	Full sun	Low	6.0-7.0	Direct sow or transplant	Early Jun	Zones 9-10	Blooms in 45-60 days	8-12 in	Easy from seed; popular companion plant in vegetable beds.
Sunflower	Flower	Full sun	Low	6.0-7.5	Direct sow	Late May - Jun	No	Blooms in 70-100 days	6-24 in	Direct sow. Tall types may need staking.
Zinnia	Flower	Full sun	Low	5.5-7.5	Direct sow	Early Jun	No	Blooms in 60-70 days	6-18 in	Direct sow after frost. Great for cutting and pollinators.
Rose (shrub)	Shrub	Full sun	Moderate	6.0-6.5	Bare-root or nursery plant	May	Zones 7-10	Spring to fall	3-5 ft	Good air flow reduces black spot and mildew.