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Consider what kinds of cuisine you like to cook, and you can prepare yourself for an international feast with some of the freshest possible ingredients:

 Chinese: Try long beans, Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage, water spinach, and bok choy.

 Indian: Opt for various herbs and leafy greens, plus certain kinds of eggplant and onions.

 Italian: Be sure to include tomatoes, oregano, and basil, at the least.

 Mexican: The easy herb cilantro is a must, as is epazote, and of course, a salsa medley of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and various peppers, hot and mild.

If your goal is to serve healthier and fresher food to your family, go for a variety of classic vegetables and herbs. Even salad skeptics may be won over after they taste a wondrous array of colorful lettuces accompanied by fresh ripe tomatoes. And kids who don’t normally enjoy vegetables can discover the joys of fresh, sweet homegrown peas and carrots. For more on raising vegetables, consult Chapter 15; I cover herbs in Chapter 17.

The easiest, most successful kitchen gardens are small and simple. You can always expand later. To start, I recommend

 Keeping it sunny: At least six hours of full sun per day is essential for good growth and ripening of almost all vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. Morning light is preferable to afternoon because it dries the dew (reducing the risk of disease) and is less stressful than the blazing heat of midafternoon.

 Setting the boundaries: Stake out a spot using string rigged between wooden sticks, or try a simpler approach: Use your garden hose as a guide. After you establish the garden, you can edge the bed with bricks or stones or commercial edging. Plastic edging is cheaper but quickly becomes brittle when exposed to full sun; steel edging is a much better choice and will last a long time. Or dig a roughly 4-inch-deep (10 cm) trench all around the edges. The idea is to keep any lawn grass from encroaching on your kitchen garden.

 Building raised beds: If the soil in the appointed spot isn’t very good, erect a raised bed from planks standing on edge. Be sure to use untreated lumber, because some wood preservatives may be harmful to edible plants. Unless you use the more expensive cedar, these wooden sides will eventually rot and need replacing. Composite lumber that is a mixture of wood fiber, plastic, and some type of binding agent is another option. These ingredients are bonded together to form a material that is denser, stronger, and heavier than wood alone and makes it extremely resistant to insect damage and rot. See Chapter 15 for info on raised beds.

 Installing protective barriers: If you garden in deer, woodchuck, or rabbit territory (just to name some of the worst pests), or if you host backyard soccer games, a protective fence around your kitchen garden may be in order. Use poultry wire or wood and sink it into the ground to discourage digging invaders. If the fence doesn’t look very attractive, plant fast-growing, lightweight plants to cover it, such as morning glories and moon flowers.

 Planting a few containers that are literally at the kitchen door: Try a small tomato plant surrounded by ‘Spicy Globe’ basil, a cut-and-come-again mix of lettuces and salad greens, and another container of your favorite herbs.