From the time the bed gets seeded or the transplants go in, the vegetable gardener is at the mercy of every change of weather or plague of insects or disease that descends on his or her garden. I still plant a vegetable garden every year and am obsessed enough to the point of refusing to 'go away' during the summer because the garden will suffer. You'll come up with your own answer, but I don't bother to grow corn any more. I just wasn't getting enough pleasure out of it to make it worth it. I use the space for dahlias now, because I get more pleasure out of cutting bouquets for the house, than harvesting cobs.
Evergreens are another popular landscaping choice for the same reason.
She suggests choosing slow growing evergreens, such as dwarf conifers, that will never need pruning. I insist on having flowers in my garden, and the bigger and bolder their blooms, the better. Astilbe, achillea, and liatris are also easy care plants that provide a colorful display. If you like annuals, you'll want to choose them carefully. Many, such as marigolds, need constant deadheading to look good and continue blooming for any length of time.