zucchini is probably one of the most successful things a newbie could ever grow. One plant will gift you so much zucchini, you will be making zucchini bread for your neighbors! Corn will grow but it looks pretty farmish. There are bush green beans so you don't need a trellis.

In southern California, I grow tomatoes, so I am little help. We also grow a lime tree which replaces a lemon tree that my neighbor and I shared. My son gave me a new lime tree last year that is still on the patio in a pot. When this drought is finally over, I think I will transplant it to the yard so that it can grow bigger. I love limes for any kind of recipe that calls for lemons because limes taste so tropical and give a special flavor to everything. A few years ago, the same son gave me two blueberry bushes in very large pots that are on the patio. We have a nice crop coming along this year. When I water them, I treat myself to a few ripe berries.

Could you list your zone next to your name? Southern California has planting zones all over the map. If you live by the coast, different things will grow than if you live in the desert or hot inland valleys. I am in the foothills in Riverside County and it's very dry and windy here with seasonal foggy mornings and cool evenings. This is perfect for vineyards (which we have), but not so good for Tomatoes (which you don't like). I love tomatoes and peppers and I have mine in partial shade which they seem to like. You could put some garlic in your planter. Sauteed garlic and zucchini are fab! We have a lot of property, and I'm with sheilajoyce on the citrus trees. We have all kinds plus macadamias, figs (27 varieties) Pakistan Mulberries, pomegranates, etc.

Herbs, radishes, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, leaf lettuce are all easy to grow. Enjoy the fruits of your labors. Plant a tomato just for me. I love tomatoes.lol

Thank you so much for all of the suggestions! I think I am in zone 10a.

I love the citrus tree idea but my husband is worried that fruit trees are messy when the fruit falls. Do you find that to be the case? I use citrus every day so it would be very convenient. I love the idea of blueberry bushes. We both love blueberries.

I might plant a tomato plant. :) I like them cooked down in sauces and such but can't eat them raw, but my husband will. I just don't want to see them go to waste, though I don't think it would be difficult to give away tomatoes!

cucumbers, radish, small potatoes to dig up they are fabulous, turnips, carrots, parsnips, onions both green and regular, watermelon or other melons and squash. I have my lemon trees and cumquat and satsuma trees in big pots in my atrium, they stay smaller and make plenty of fruit for me and no waste.
Peach trees are great too you can buy patio size in just about all fruit trees. Use your excess bounty to barter with others!

The fruit of the lime or lemon will not fall faster than you can pick it. I pick and freeze the juice prior to falling. Limes in 1 cup zip locks, and lemons in 1/4 C. Our limes go into homemade margaritas and guacamole. In your zone, you could grow avocados for guacamole easy. Our lemons are used for many things. I squeeze the juice through my fingers to filter out seeds into a green salad and add olive oil, salt and pepper. I rub what's left on my skin to bleach brown spots, and the juice of the lemon is great for cleaning. The only drawback to tomatoes is the dammn green horned fat, ugly tomato worm. It will find your tomato. It appears as a little sweet butterfly, then OMG!

Zucchini and pumpkin are easy, but one of either plant will consume your whole garden, so plan on them trailing out of the garden. I have a pumpkin plant which is going down the alley behind the house.

It may be a little late for cucumbers. The ones I've grown like spring weather better.

I'd suggest growing some herbs...cilantro, basil, rosemary or whatever you like. Be careful if you grow something like mint. That stuff is invasive and best grown in a pot.

Swiss chard, beets, radishes, basil, sage, thyme, cucumbers, strawberries.....

Hmm, you might want to consider our water situation. Cucs take a LOT of water, as do pumpkins, etc. I did plant tomatoes again as we eat so many of them (and freeze,) and they really don't need much water after they're established, and I planted beans, (which I'm feeling a bit guilty about as they take a little more water.)

Is there room for a small compost bin? Any bug bitten veggies can be tossed in and harvested later as compost for your garden.

I think it's already too warm for cilantro and leafy veggies.

I don't know if you are close to San Diego, but I did find the San Diego County Master Gardener's Planting Guide. It will help with what can be planted now.

http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/Vegetable%20Planting%20Guide1.pdf

I do not recommend zucchini in such a small box. A healthy zucchini produces a long vine up to 6 ft or more in length that lays on the ground much like a watermelon or pumpkin. It needs an extensive root space to support the amount of fruit it can bear.

Someone mentioned blue berries. Do some research on blueberries before attempting to grow some, else you will be disappointed. Blueberries require acidic soil, very acidic compared to near neutral soils. Wild blueberries are found where a thick layer of pine and spruce needles are decaying. An acidic condition exists in such beds.

Also, allow room for the root ball. It penetrates fairly deeply and its depth will be at least 2/3 the height of the bush. A shallow plant box may be too cramping for the plant, although ti would be be easier to control the acidity in a closed structure.

A small watermelon. They're so expensive in the stores and usually not when you do buy them. That's what I'm growing this year.

Italian parsley is great. I let it reseed itself.

For some reason I thought you were in 'chi'. lol! My climate is probably nothing like yours, but I'll toss in my two cents. :)

I don't think any veggie/herb garden is labor intensive, so you're ok there. For me, veggie gardening is mostly about the tomatoes and peppers I can grow. I'm particular about my varieties. :) I was going to suggest 'Sun Gold' if you do grow tomatoes.... it's a large orange sweet hybrid cherry tomato and *very* productive! It's the only hybrid tomato I grow and a must every year!

If you grow zucchini, I'd recommend 'Black Beauty' -- it's a bush form of plant, so takes less space than a standard vining zucchini plant.

For cucumbers, I really like 'Muncher' if you can find it... smaller plants and it produces perfect straight nice-size cukes.

Green beans can be bush form or pole form, if you have something for them to climb you'll save space.

What about eggplant? You can probably grow them great there -- my season isn't long enough here. :(

Things I usually grow -- all from seed:
- about 10-12 varieties of tomatoes. All OP/heirlooms except 'Sun Gold'. :)
- about 6-8 varieties of peppers (all OP/heirlooms).
- herbs are always parsley, basil, cilantro, and dill
- green beans, zucchini, straight or crookneck summer squash, pea pods, cucumbers.

I also always grow several varieties of garlic, and perennials like chives and Egyptian Walking Onions.

Depending on space and weather conditions, sometimes I'll grow tomatillos, radishes, broccoli, pumpkins, various winter squashes, ... and I'll even try eggplant again. :)

And don't forget edible flowers.... nasturtiums are a must!

BTW: with your climate I'd grow my own lemons in a heartbeat!!! :)