Four acres! It includes lawn (which is best left unmown during that period anyway), a vegetable garden, numerous mixed borders, containers (many elephant wara, canna), and shaded areas where Itransplanting ferns and other groundcovers.

I do have a tremendous pile of woodchips…

last frost is May 4

==>>> and you will return mid may ...

just go and do what need be done.. i hope its fun ...

so what if you plant a week or two late???

planting before means you wont be able to properly water new transplants... and would lose some percentage of them.. so why risk it ...

one would expect ma nature to take care of you with spring rain etc.. but you know murphys law ...

oh well on the weeds ... they will be there when you get back..

i dont understand why .. if you have the woodchips.. you havent spread them previously.. so.. if you have time.. and the will .... spread them before you go ...

ken

I'd put in the taters. It might be a smidge early for you depending on when in April you are leaving, but I probably wouldn't want to wait til mid-May to plant them. Depending on the weather forcast, or if you have someone that can water them till they get established, maybe a first round of pea seed. You can put in another round when you get back. I probably wouldn't do transplants till you get back if they can be held till then.

Ah, so in this case 'garden' means the same as it does to me, the whole place, not just a cultivated patch within a 'yard'. In which case I think you'll just have to do what you usually do and cross your fingers while you're away. The only part that might need different treatment is the vegetable plot. No point planting stuff which will be over by the time you get back. And no point planting stuff which might need watering.