If you wanted to grow veggies, I would start by picking one or two that you enjoy eating and growing those. As you are inexperienced with growing, buy seedlings.

Start small and work your way up. Get books out of the library on small-scale gardening or in small urban spaces. I have almost an acre and I still find such books have useful ideas.

Gardening is extremely rewarding but can be overwhelming in the beginning.

I would agree that you start small and work your way up :-) And one of the first things you should do is visit the Container Gardening forum and read through some of the threads, especially this one. Growing in containers poses some unique situations that you need to be aware of and the first and most important is the soil mix you use.

Anything that is grown in the ground can be grown in a container as well. But you need to have the right sized container for the plant(s). Recycled plastic soda bottles, even the largest 2 liter size, are pretty small and won't accommodate more than a single plant, except for perhaps lettuce or radishes. Any larger bucket or tub would be better.....empty kitty litter buckets are a good choice. And many nurseries will recycle or give away their used black plastic pots and these come in a wide range of sizes........opt for the larger ones as opposed to the smaller. And make sure any container you use has adequate drainage holes in the bottom.

After soil mix and container size, sunlight is a key factor. Most veggies need a lot of sunlight to develop properly, grow well and produce fruit - the majority are considered full sun plants, meaning 8 or more hours of sunlight a day. Same with herbs. You can get by on a bit less, but less than 6 and you will have some problems.

I would forget about any fruit for now and just concentrate on a few veggies or some annual flowers. Fruit plants tend to be on the larger size, are more permanent type plants and you often need multiples to actually get a crop. You should master container gardening first before you attempt growing something that is usually a shrub or tree!! And again, fruits need a lot of sun.

For your first attempt I would just purchase a few small started plants at your local nursery. Growing from seed is a whole 'nother ball game with its own set of conditions and equipment required! Take this in baby steps :-) Try growing a few already started plants in containers first and then if all goes well, you can try your hand at growing from seed next year.

Thank you so much for all of you advice. What are some of the easier veggies to grow? I was planning on doing some lettuce for salads, but beyond that I am kind of at a loss at what to choose because the options are almost endless. I was thinking green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, some herbs. I would like to try a few easier plants (more hardy and a better chance at surviving even if I screw up) so as not to get discouraged if I fail horribly. Any suggestions?

I don't have time for very specific advice, but you must make a trip out to Groff's Plant Farm, maybe 20 minutes from downtown Lancaster. One of the best nurseries on the east coast, I assure you as someone with almost 30 years of gardening experience. (*And* definitely one the most reasonably priced along the northeast corridor.) They only take cash or check. They have a huge selection of herbs and vegetables that do well in the area and will be able to give you real advice from someone experienced, unlike a big box store.

Strawberries plants stay small and are very easily grown in small containers. They also will give fruit by their 2nd year and most strawberries send runners out like crazy (free plants!). So far as veggies go, I would recommend lettuce and spinach (although it is a bit late to be planting them now). Determinate varieties of tomato grow well in pots as do peppers. I would not recommend broccoli for a novice.

What did you end up trying to grow this year?