Planting Tips:

Knowing when to plant has always been a gardener's greatest challenge, and many approaches can backfire. Relying on calendar dates such as St. Patrick's Day for potatoes or April 1 for perennials can cause problems. Frost dates can vary enormously from one year to the next.

Many gardeners rely on phenology, the science of appearances, as a guide to know when to plant.  Some, for example, rely on the lilac-bloom timetable for planting: when lilacs begin to leaf out, gardeners plant hardy annuals and cool-season vegetables.  But that approach can backfire because of the weather.

Instead, check with local authorities or reference books for the average last spring frost in your area and delay planting a week or two weeks after that date.  Sometimes that day can vary considerably, even within the same geographic region, so proceed with caution.