Seeds and Bulbs – Late Spring / Early Summer
Seeds
May has felt more like March, this year. Who knows what the summer will bring, but it is certainly not too late to plant flowers and edibles from seed!
Flowers:
Plant summer-bloomers that will hit their peak in August and September: Calendula, Nasturtium, Cleome, Sunflowers and Zinnias can all be planted now. Be sure to keep the seed bed moist until germination occurs.
Vegetables:
Consider slow-bolting and heat-resistant varieties when possible, to help extend the harvest season if the temperatures really start to climb during the summer months. Planted now, these can provide food for the table in July and August:
Lettuce, Green (bunching) Onions, Oriental Greens, Beans (Bush and Pole varieties, both), Cucumber and Summer Squash.
If you are planning to have a vegetable garden into the fall and winter, the last part of June is when you can start planting from seed! Consider starting some fall/winter vegetables in flats or in an unused part of the garden ("nursery bed"), to transplant into the vegetable garden later as space opens up.
Root crops (rutabagas, turnips, beets, carrots) don't like to be transplanted, so if you're planning on having those veggies on hand, leave some space to plant them where they are going to grow for the duration (this can be done into July, so there's time if you don't have immediate space).
Fall and winter vegetables, besides the above mentioned root crops, that can be started now are varieties of Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Radicchio and Swiss Chard (again, don't worry, these can also be planted in July and in some cases into August, so there's no demand or hurry).
Need help with all this planning? Check out our vegetable planting calendar, a copy of the Territorial Seed Catalog or the Maritime Northwest Garden Guide, produced by Seattle Tilth.
Bulbs
Summer blooming bulbs are on sale! – Dahlias, Gladiolas, Crocosmia and the others that will bring surprising colors into your garden until frost – there's still time to plant them!
Nasturtiums
SEARCH OUR SITE
Search our site for plant features