9 Best Vegetables to Grow in a Small Garden

The best 9 vegetables to grow in a small garden that will save time and money. When you don’t have lots of room to garden you have to choose wisely what you really need to grow. Most people stick with the vegetables that they know already but, here are some vegetables that you may not have thought of when planning your small garden.

1. Artichokes

We live in a pretty difficult growing climate (cold, clay, desert) but I can grow artichokes so I bet you can too. The amazing thing about Artichoke is that it is perennial which means you only have to plant it once and it comes back year after year. It is a high producer so we usually get about 12 Artichokes per plant. And it’s a great conversational piece!

2. Tomatoes

Even if you don’t love fresh tomatoes (Whoa who are you crazy!) tomatoes are one of the best crops to plant because they are used in so many different recipes that you may not have thought of. We plant a large crop of tomatoes every year and bottle the majority. With our bottled tomatoes we make Indian curries, Marinara sauce, Salsa, Soups and so much more. These are a must have plant.

3. Zucchini

With all of the different zoodle recipes out there you need to be growing zucchini. I know it’s a huge plant but guess what?… You can grown this baby vertically and save so much room! Whaaaat?!! Do it, and share your photos with us on Instagram #sweetolivefarms. I really want to see your vertical zucchini.

4. Sugar Snap Peas

Peas can also be grown vertically (Check out our cute pea fences which we use to prop up our peas and give us more garden space). These little veggies make the most delicious healthy snack and they are great in a salad. You eat the whole pod so there is no waste of space. Every inch of this lovely can be nibbled.

5. Herbs

Herbs at the store are so expensive. And if you are trying to photograph a beautiful dinner you’ve made and then add those on top as a garnish they just look sad and wilty. So grow your own herbs. You can grow them in containers and save so much space. Put them out on your front porch as a planter or even plant them in your pots with the pretty annuals you usually grow. So many ways you can plant these! I personally love herbs in a basket planter.

6. Broccoli

This is an amazing plant to grow because it produces all season long and even into the late fall which is a win for any vegetable in my book. Plus it looks pretty.

7. Fruit Trees

If you don’t have a lot of space then you probably haven’t considered fruit trees in your small garden. But before you pass this one over think how beautiful your fence would look with an espaliered fruit tree. Espali-whatnow? Espalier is a way of pruning your tree to grow exactly in the shape that you want it, usually along a fence or a wall. It’s almost an art the way people can shape their trees. Just look it up on Pinterest or Instagram and you’ll see what I mean.

8. Strawberries

Strawberries are so pretty and like herbs they can be planted in so many different ways. In planters, vertically, really any way you can think of. you can save so much room by planting vertically. Have you considered planting a strawberry wall?

9. Asparagus

We are lucky because where we live asparagus grows wild along the fence lines but we still plant it in our garden. It is a beautiful plant and a perennial which always a good idea, I mean plant it once harvest for years who doesn’t want that? One asparagus bush can produce a lot of asparagus. And it’s always the first thing up in our garden.