There's nothing like easy-to-grow, high-yield plants to help boost the self-confidence of young gardeners. Hardy, disease-resistant varieties with early maturity dates keep interest levels high.

Here is a list of some of the simplest plants to grow, according to "The Family Kitchen Garden: How to Plant, Grow and Cook Together," by Karen Liebreich, Jutta Wagner and Annette Wendlund (Timber Press, 2009):

Easiest: Artichokes, French beans, beets, chard, zucchini, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, onions, parsnips, pumpkins and squashes, radishes and arugula. Cabbages, broccoli and brussels sprouts, on the other hand, are tricky to grow because they're susceptible to disease.

Fastest from seed: Radishes (four to six weeks), leaf lettuces (six weeks), arugula (four to eight weeks), spinach (eight to 14 weeks), first early potatoes (10 weeks), pumpkins (10 to 14 weeks), carrots (10 to 16 weeks), zucchini (10 to 14 weeks), beets (11 weeks), head lettuce (12 weeks), cucumbers (12 to 14 weeks) and tomatoes (16 weeks). Asparagus, on the other hand, is a perennial and takes about two years to get established.