Well I live in Zone 10 so the timing is obviously up to you and whoever responds from Z 4. When all the beds are in with lovely clean soil it is nice to start off the potager by growing a cover crop so as soon as it warms a tad you can seed the beds with vetch, clover, or Austrian field peas. Allow to grow until just before seeding and then dig into the soil. This will add nutrients as the green material breaks down, extra fixed nitrogen and aid in microbial development in the soil. After a week or so you can plant directly in the soil all your Spring veg. Must haves for me are lettuces, cabbages, kales, chard, peas, onions and garlic. Carrots, beets, radishes, green onions, and celery. Then feel free to mix in lovely flowers such as calendula, cosmos(my FAVOURITE..especially "White Sonata"), sweet peas (a must), then parsleys (allow some to go to seed as well as a few carrots...the tiny flowers attract beneficial insects) , both curled and italian. There are a myriad of less popualr things that I love to grow such as purslane, mache, radicchio, bok choi, brussel sprouts, and parsnips (they have a LONG growing season so place them out of the way ). next season is summer and the must haves are Tomatoes, Basils, french beans, Corn, the list is endless!!

Hope this was of some help.

John

Pic of White Sonata from my White Garden last summer. it flowered endlessly 8-10 weeks.

Since my potager is much smaller than yours, I am limited in what I can grow. I choose things that are expensive and/or difficult to find locally.

I grow 4 different heirloom tomatoes, one plant each. I grow Ambrosia melons hanging on the south fence. I grow leeks, red sweet peppers, sugar pod peas, bright lights swiss chard, french green beans, elephant garlic, and lots of lettuces and greens. I usually mix radishes with the lettuce seeds, just so I can reassure myself that they will germinate.

Last spring I grew broccoli, because I had the space, and early cabbage, ditto.

I also have 4 columnar apple trees, which I underplant with strawberries.

John, I just tried brussel sprouts this year.
A guy in the produce area of the store I work in asked if I had problems with aphids!
I don't usually wear my glasses out in the garden, and I hand water from a distance, so I went over to the BS and they were FILLED with aphids!!!!! Yak!
Gotta pull them cause they got down inside the leaves and I don't need that extra protein!

In time your yard will develop a healthy micro environment where something will arrive to eat these aphids..it takes a little time. This assumes you are gardening organically. Grow them again and you may not have the same problem.

John

Do ladybugs eat aphids?
I would love to try them again next year minus the aphids!
Someone said a blast of water from time to time would help, but I also was told to ammend the soil after pulling up the affected plants. That aphids would stay in the soil.
Who knows? NT

The blast of water does work to a degree. Yes..ladybugs eat aphids and they love certain plants..such as bronze fennel and artichokes. when you have a lot of ladybugs you have a lot of aphids..that is why they are in the yard in the first place. Please also note that ladybugs are VERY sensitive to even trace chemicals in your yard. They are a real barometer of how organic your yard is. Finally, I do not think that releasing them really works. They have a way of showing up when a problem occurs in the yard.

Hope this was of some help.

John