It’s Not Too Late to Plant Your Spring Garden

Our late, has, except for fleeting glimpses, delayed ideal planting conditions. 

Now, the garden centers are bursting at the seams with color and edibles to fulfill all your garden needs. The most important first step, if you have not already done so, is to prepare the planting area with the appropriate material and nutrients. 

Most annual vegetables and flowers prefer soil rich in organic compost. Trees and shrubs, with the exception of acid loving plants such as blueberries, azalea, and gardenia, actually establish and develop to maturity best in native soil. 

Grouping plants together based on water requirements, or Hydrozoning, is also crucial to plant health.  Don’t forget sun or shade requirements, and use taller plants, such as beans or tomatoes, to shade plants such as lettuce which can’t tolerate intense late spring and summer sunlight. 

Throughout the month of May, plant palms, citrus, avocado, and other tender trees. Citrus love our Southern California inland climate, which is evidenced by the vast acreage formerly covering the region. 

A quick guide to area oranges: I prefer Valencia for juice, Navel and Moro blood for eating (if you have a tree and are considering juicing at home, check out .

Other citrus favorites are Eureka lemons and Bearss limes, which I grow here. For avocados, the dwarf avocado variety “Holiday” will grow to only 12 feet, yet produce an abundant, full-sized crop. 

Avocados and other subtropical fruit and ornamental trees always risk damage or demise from frost. I’ll discuss winter frost protection in the garden next fall.

You will find many exceptional plant options at your local nursery or garden center to transform your garden into your dreamscape.

Below, you will find a list of the flowers and edibles to plant now from seed or transplant.

The flowers to plant now include (deep breath):

• ageratums
• alyssum
• bachelor buttons
• fibrous begonias
• bougainvillea
• candytuft
• carnations
• celosia (cockscombs)
• chrysanthemums
• coleus
• columbine
• coral bells
• coreopsis
• cosmos
• English, gloriosa, marguerite and Shasta daisies
• dahlias
• delphiniums
• dianthus (sweet william, pinks)
• foxgloves
• gaillardia
• gazania (African daisy)
• gerbera (transvaal daisy)
• geraniums
• hollyhocks
• hostas(plantain lily)
• impatiens
• lantana
• larkspur
• marigolds
• nasturtiums
• nicotiana
• pansies
• penstemon
• periwinkle (vinca minor)
• petunias
• Iceland, Oriental and Shirley poppies
• portulaca (moss or sun rose)
• potentilla (cinquefoil)
• primroses (primula)
• pyrethrums (painted daisy, painted lady)
• rosemary
• salpiglossis
• salvias
• scabiosa (pincushion flower)
• snapdragons
• statice (sea lavendar and other colors)
• stock
• sunflowers
• sweet williams
• verbena
• violas
• zinnias

Some vegetables to plant now in prepared beds include:

• lima and snap beans
• beets
• carrots
• celery
• chard
• chicory
• chives
• corn
• cucumbers
• leeks
• warm-season lettuces
• melons
• okras
• green onions
• peanuts
• peppers
• pumpkins
• soybeans
• warm-season spinach
• squash
• sweet potatoes
• tomatoes

Next week, I will discuss how to stay green while on vacation.