I think we're all wondering that, Michelle!

If you have tomato starts and the like, well, my PLAN is next weekend. But, we all know how plans have gone so far this season.

I do have radishes, lettuce, and potatoes out growing now, and so far, so good. In fact, I have to bury the spuds some more today before the thunderstorms roll in.

For warm weather things that are direct seeded, like beans and cucumbers, I usually start those around June 1st, this year it may be more like the 15th+ but, that's okay really, that stuff really does grow fast and you could probably plant them in July and still get high production.

I'm glad you skipped the wasted effort, Michelle!

Zach, appreciate the reminder to bury the spuds a little deeper.

This weekend I'm planning on starting some things I usually direct seed, like squash and zucchini, in small pots, just to get them started and not lose any more growing time while I wait for things to dry up in the garden. I think I'm skipping growing corn, beans and pumpkins this year. Grasshoppers get my beans every year and I'm over it! I'm not good at corn, probably underfeed it and pumpkins take up more space than I'm willing to give up this year.

Other than that I'm just going to pull weeds and keep nursing the veggie flats along. I moved all the flats in a couple of days ago and all but one have finally dried out enough to need water. I took them outside and fertilized them this morning. I'm going to leave them out today for some light and air and maybe a little, light rain, please? I'm asking for it, aren't I? Being outside is doing me some good, too, even if it's not sunny.

There's just no way to plan a date to plant. It's going to vary for each of us, depending on when we dry up enough and the soil warms up.

On a positive note, the tomatoes and peppers planted out in Walls of Water are fine, in fact they look much better than the plants in flats! Their color is better and their leaves aren't all beat to heck. And the onions, garlic and shallots look fabulous!

This is a bit of a tangent ... considering all the rain, what perennial flowers would you start from seed NOW?

Hi Janni,

You can start almost any perennial seeds now and over summer! The only problem would be with things that NEED to be cold stratified or they won't germinate. That could be accomplished by putting them in a damp paper towel in a zipper baggie and in the fridge for a few weeks first, but things that need stratification are a whole lot easier to "winter sow" and just let the normal outdoor temps do it for you. Can't give you a "list" of what needs to be stratified--too complicated to try to do that, but could possibly make a recommendation if you say what you're thinking of starting. Starting perennials is really, really easy to do with winter sowing, but I'm assuming you're chomping at the bit to get some things going NOW, so go for it!

Do remember that what you start now won't bloom till next year (with a few exceptions), but if you get them going now, by next summer you should have fairly decent size plants.

Have fun,

Skybird

Another OT.... Looks "waiting" has started to pay off. TWO good hail storms in one day, about 4 hours apart and veggie starts are tucked in nice and safe under the deck.

Course, the radishes are little beat up, however, I think they'll be okay. There's a small aspen tree situated right over my lettuce bed, so, they are a little bit protected. My fear of buckshot from the sky is what prompted me to get my taters buried this morning...BEFORE the big thunderclouds rolled in. Ha! Finally, I beat the beat the weather for once!

All my native perennials are looking just fine indeed, I'm thinking there may be something to my theory of them being designed to withstand the pounding a little better than imported stuff.

I managed to get my onions, leeks, shallots, peas, favas, beets, carrots and seedling kale all in before the deluge, and they're out their in their raised beds, not flooded, and they are growing like bandits. Peppers and tomatoes miserable in the greenhouse.

So I'm new to veggie gardening - could I direct sow peas at this point, or is it too late? I'm worried we're going to go from this weather into June heat....

From my admittedly limited experience planting peas in the region, I go on the theory that you just don't know. Usually I can harvest peas until the middle of July when it starts getting really hot. Some summers, I can cut back the vines when they start to get mildew, they re-grow, and I get peas into the fall.

With my sandy soil I have been sort of keeping to a regular schedule getting seeds and transplants out. The sandy soil warms faster and doesn't seem too affected by working it after getting wet.

Started getting tomatoes out this week. Peppers and eggplants to follow soon. Cucumbers and okra I just started indoors. Been direct seeding carrots, beets, radish, sunflowers, clover, chard, peas, nasturtium, zinnia, lettuce, dill and beans

I have foot tall sugar peas already. My white icicle radishes are doing well. Lettuce is doing okay. slow growing. Potatoes are going crazy. I better bury them more today I suppose. This is only my 2nd year trying them.

I am trying beets for the first time and I think I put the seed out too early. 3 weeks or so ago, not long before the rains started. I think I will reseed them today. Not too early still is it? Only a few have sprouted.

I am trying sweetcorn this year also. maybe I will get it in the ground today. Should I wait for warmer soil? I'm very impatient this year!