What are the easiest plants or crops for beginners to grow and keep alive? 
Beans are fantastic because they grow quickly and have pretty flowers—an added bonus.
I also enjoy growing herbs like dill and sweet basil. Leafy greens like bok choy and Kos lettuce are usually easier to manage, plus they’re cut-and-come-again varieties.
I completely agree about beans. We planted some black beans by simply tossing them into the soil, and they grew effortlessly. Even when about 25% of the leaves were chewed on, production didn’t suffer.
The only drawback is harvesting—they require a couple of hours to shuck from their pods. However, their nitrogen-fixing properties make them a valuable addition to your crop rotation.
I totally second the beans. We had some black beans that we literally just threw into soil and they popped up, no problem. Another year, something chewed on maybe 25% of the leaves with no loss in production.
The only problem with them is harvesting. I spend a couple of hours shucking them out of their cases at harvest time.
That said, because of their nitrogen fixing properties, they are a useful plant to put into rotation
I think I’ll give lettuce a try.
Lettuce is great, but it prefers cooler weather and tends to bolt as the days get warmer and longer.
Basil is wonderful, but it doesn’t thrive in cooler climates. Dill is rewarding because it reseeds itself, and sunflowers are also a great choice.