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dirty_gardener

What are you planting this spring?

last month
last modified: last month

I just love to hear what people are planting in all our zones. Having lived in Z9b/10A (now just 10a), I will always be in love with tropicals and things that would freeze to death here if I didn't protect them. I post pictures of my yard, and people say they could swear it was in the tropics. I love Gainesville, but it's a chore to keep all the tropicals alive sometimes with all the wild thunderstorms, hurricanes cruising by, and occasional hard freezes.

This year, due to the insane grocery prices, I'm going to be planting some strange and unusual vegeatables and edible weeds. I don't have much sun, and no full sun, but I'm still going to give cucumbers and squash another try. I only ever plant cherry tomatoes here, because big tomatoes just don't do well for me. I'm starting some Everglades tomatoes and another NOID cherry someone gave me seeds for. This year, I'm trying sweet peppers again. Believe it or not, my two pepper plants made it through the cold and are starting to grow and put out fruit already.

I'm planting weeds like purslane, lambs quarters, arugula, corn salad (for fall), and plantain. I've already re-planted my finger leaf chaya and longevity spinach, and will be starting radishes and malabar spinach tomorrow. Most of my seeds have to wait until the soil gets a bit warmer.

I'm planting more pollinator attracting plants, mostly annuals like zinnias, marigolds and cosmos, so I can just let them die and replant the next year. I already have a lot of perennials, but they don't really attract a lot of pollinators, so I need more easy, pretty flowers. I always enjoy the vincas, begonias and impatiens when they come out in the stores, and plant pots of them everywhere for color.

It's going to be a busy spring and summer for me, but it's the first time in a long time I wasn't too sick or broke to work on my garden, so I'm going to enjoy it.

Comments (11)

  • last month

    "...but it's the first time in a long time I wasn't too sick or broke to work on my garden, so I'm going to enjoy it."


    I'm right there with you -- I'm coming out of a 5 or 6-year "funk", made worse by the death of my gardening buddy a few years ago and a recurring injury. I still gardened and took care of things, but without much joy. I'm feeling different this year, looking forward to getting out there, it's like all of a sudden the sunshine is back. :0)


    I have a lot of native plants for the pollinators, so I've got that covered. Trust me -- plant it and they will come; may take a few years, but they'll find you.


    I'm planting my usual flowers and vegetables, nothing new or out of the ordinary, but re-visiting some old favorite annuals. I'm still trialing tomato cultivars (slicers), so I'll get some transplants of new-to-me varieties; the others I know I like I'll grow from seed, like the majority of my vegetables. I'm on the lookout for a couple more hazelnut bushes and a seedless Concord grape and another apricot tree. It's too early up here for nurseries to have anything out yet, that usually doesn't ramp up until mid to late April, so I'll be busy shopping in another month and a half or so. :0)

    dirtygardener thanked porkchop_z5b_MI
  • last month

    For my Spring garden I've already planted Peas and Lettuce seed in ground and have Spinach almost ready to pick (planted last Nov). Today I'm busy prepping the rows for Broccoli and Cabbage transplants to be put out in a few more days. These will be followed by carrots and beet seed planted by Apr 1st. Up next, the Summer crops by late April/early May.

    dirtygardener thanked vgkg Z-7 Va
  • last month

    If I had your wonderful soil dirtygardener I'd plant far more than I do. I was born and farmed on that soil where it runs East along Red River. As it is I'm o n the miserable black clay South of the good stuff and I hate it. Anyway I do have huglekultur beds where I grow tomatoes, green beans, squash and a few other things. Like many other plants, tomato verities are suited to various zones. I've had the most consistent success with Celebrity tomatoes over the years, I recommend you try a plant or two for comparison to others. Grayson County Master Gardeners are having a meeting and plant sale in a month or two (too late imo) so you might enjoy that if Cooke doesn't have something similar.

    dirtygardener thanked klem1
  • last month
    last modified: last month

    Fava plants went in two weeks ago. I have lettuce and brassica seedlings coming on and a few artichokes which haven't yet emerged. These days I raise my plants indoors in a greenhouse and then transplant. I've tried direct sowing over the years and more often than not seedlings area eaten by the snails the moment they emerge. Plants stand more chance. Next to sow will be runner beans, courgettes and squash.

    dirtygardener thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
  • last month

    I am planting peas (already in), spinach, swiss chard, lots of pak choy, bok choy --- all the choys. And my favorite is Tatsoi. My ginger is also coming up in the greenhouse. If you are on instagram I am @kitchengardensdaily if you would like to see what I'm up to!


    If you are interested in a planting calendar (it's free) - I created one. I'm a long time gardener and data nerd, so this is what I spent the last couple of winters working on. :)


    We use NOAA historical normals from the last 30 years to determine exact frost dates for your zip code, and then we dig into your microclimate to make sure your planting calendar is completely solid for YOUR garden. There's 44 plants in there at present.



    Free garden calendar

    dirtygardener thanked auntyf
  • 29 days ago

    I'm 76 with severe Fibromyalgia and Arthritis, so I'm trying to force myself to cut back on my garden, but it sure is hard! Especially when I always get Spring Fever. :) I will continue to plant things I've planted for years: County Fair cucumbers, Waltham butternut squash, Roma and Rutgers and Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes. Haricot vert and Blue Lake bush beans and maybe Romano beans again...but I'm trying to limit myself.


    I'm tempted to not plant peppers again and maybe only Swiss Chard instead of other types that I end up not paying attention to. I usually grow the Butternut squash up fencing on my children's old swing set, but I think I'll put fencing on the ends now too, to grow the cucumbers up this year, instead of using an arched cattle panel. I hate cutting back. I hate growing old.

    dirtygardener thanked catherinet (5IN)
  • 29 days ago

    So do I cat but it beats the alternative.

    dirtygardener thanked klem1
  • 21 days ago

    Will replace many of the freeze-killed things; have not thought about planting any others.

    dirtygardener thanked four (9B near 9A)
  • 8 days ago

    Well, it's April and I still haven't planted a thing, other than some cuttings I rooted over the winter to save for spring. I'm going to try to plant some pigeon peas this weekend, some for the squirrels and some for me. Some of my veggies survived the freezes, so I'm babying them.

  • 4 days ago
    last modified: 4 days ago

    I am planting [God willing] 8 plantings of sweet corn...Incredible, Honey Select, Simply Irresistible, and Ambrosia. Also Brandywine Pink Suddeth Strain tomatoes, broccoli, cauuliflower, lettuces, sweet potatoes, potatoes [mostly Kennebec], strawberries [4varieties...planted last spring....Galleta, Flavorfest, Jewel, and Dickens], watermelons, green snap beans, lima beans, onions, carrots, sweet peppers, beets, butternut squash along with decorative pumpkins, glads, crested cockscomb, zinnias, and poppies.

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