If you're new to vegetable gardening, growing just a few tried-and-true family favorites is a good way to start. Tomatoes are an excellent choice, as are chard and squash. If you have kids, consider radishes, carrots, and beans--they grow quickly and easily. Or try a "pizza" garden: Fill a large container with basil, parsley, oregano, and tomatoes to be earmarked for use in pizza sauce.

Start small; you don't want to be overwhelmed by the amount of produce your garden produces. Also look at just how much space you have. Melons and squashes sprawl, while carrots, radishes, and beets are far more compact. Also, try sowing plants in succession. That way you'll have fresh vegetables over a longer period and are less apt to be overrun by one crop.

Vegetables are divided into two categories: cool season and warm season. Cool-season vegetables are those that do best in early spring or in fall or (in mild-climate areas) winter. These include broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, peas, and spinach. If you live in a cold climate, you may need to start seeds indoors or look for seedlings to plant in spring.

Warm-season vegetables, which love the heat, are the traditional crops of summer. These include beans, corn, peppers, tomatoes, and squash. You'll need to wait until the soil is warm for them to grow successfully, and they're generally killed by frost.

If you do find you have an excess of goodness, look for ways to save the excess or share with others. Many vegetables and fruits can be canned or preserved; if this seems too involved, check to see if they can be frozen. Make up serving-size containers of tomato sauce, or shred zucchini and freeze it in individual amounts that can be thawed and used for zucchini bread. You can also swap with neighbors. Check, too, to see if a local food bank or a Plant a Row for the Hungry program (www.gardenwriters.org/par) in your community can use donations.