Growing plants can be difficult, but the sunny and mediterranean climate of Southern California provides the perfect place to start growing almost any vegetable at any time of year. All you need is a plant in mind, a location with direct sunlight and the right amount of care.

Cool-season vegetables such as cabbages, carrots, onions and kale are the ideal vegetables to grow during the first two months of the year. To know the best vegetables to grow in Southern California, the Digital Gardener’s Southern California Vegetable Planting Schedule is a helpful resource to find the best plants to grow throughout the year.

My recommendation for starting to grow vegetables would be kale. It can be used in a variety of foods from smoothies to salads. Not only that, it is full of nutrients to keep you healthy. 

To properly grow kale, make sure the soil is moist but not overly watered. Water it with 1 to 1 ½ inches of water per week. If you started to grow your kale indoors, you should move it outside to keep growing it.

If you are not a fan of kale, carrots are another vegetable that grows great during this month and all year-round. Filled with antioxidants, good for the eyes and versatile in the range of dishes they can be used in, carrots are healthy as they are useful.

Keep in mind that all plants need sunlight, some needing at least 6 hours. Ample water and space for the plant is also important in facilitating its growth.

Whatever your plant of choice may be, gardening is a fun at-home hobby for any time of year that provides an additional bonus with ingredients for cooking. So if you’re on the fence about growing your own plants, start off small by growing herbs indoors or taking care of a decorational plant like a succulent. Just try it out and remember—you will always have the chance to keep growing more plants if your first one dies, so just have fun with it.