My mom always had chives (they come back every year), and while we waited for supper, playing outside, my sister and I would chew them - not that they tasted good! But we were hungery, and it was something to do. I grow Basil now because I like to cook with it. Tomatoes I always thought were amazing because even one plant grows more than you can eat. Sunflowers attract birds, and make flowers taller than me - in just a few months, rather than trees which usually grow so slowly (but which are great in their own way too).
Finally marigolds, because they're easy to grow and the first
flower I ever grew from seed, and annual cutting flowers because you get
a variety, and you'll never know what they are until they grow a bit. I
hope you have a great time with your garden.
Lisa McLoughlin