As the weeks turn over to the start of April, the first plantings of spring garden greens can start.    After the garden has been cleaned up, the rows-to-be-planted are turned over and staked.    Any rocks or tree roots are dug out and a hoe is used to chop up any clods.     Rough rows are furrowed with the hoe in preparation for seeding.

In our garden I only plant things I can harvest and use (we don’t plant kale) and any plantings have to be for cool-weather crops.    Varieties of seeds are chosen carefully, but mostly from past experience.    Each row is seeded and covered lightly.     I tie a string between short poles hammered in at the ends of the rows.   The early planting has bunching onions, snap peas, radishes, spinach, lettuce, arugula, cilantro, and Swiss chard.

Bunching Onions

We have grown various types of onions over the years, but we like bunching onions/scallions the best.    In a cooler climate we might choose a larger onion, but it just gets too hot and dry in spring, so a fast-growing green onion meets our needs the best.   We overwinter a few from the previous year, then we buy a bag and plant them in rows.    They are easy to plant and they reliably provide spring and early summer green onions for meals.

Snap Peas

Although we have grown other kinds of peas, we find that the fast-growing and early maturing snap peas can be harvested before the weather becomes too warm.    We soak the seeds for about two days before planting.   They are easy to plant and reliable.    We also enjoy the spring flowers.    Since peas are nitrogen-fixing plants, we just dig them into the garden bed when they stop fruiting.

Radishes

We love radishes, but growing them in this area is not easy.    They germinate and grow fast, but if the weather turns warm, they bolt and the roots (the radish) starts to turn woody.     For this reason, I harvest them early and plan another crop for that row.     I usually let a couple of plants flower while the new crop is starting.

Spinach

Most spinach varieties are a successful crop (easy to plant and care for) for the early season, but they also bolt in warm weather, so I harvest leaves early for salads.    In theory I can plant a fall crop too, but the weather stays far too warm through September to give them a cool weather start.

Lettuce

The variety of spinach makes a big difference.    Although they prefer cool conditions, a few varieties can still add leaves in warmer weather.    Varieties for the Coast are not the right choices for this area.    Lettuce is easy to grow and can provide green salads for a few weeks with successive plantings.

Arugula

Arugula is a valued crop for several reasons.    It is easy to grow, it is a reliable salad vegetable, it has interesting flowers, and we can plant successive crops in the gardening year.    It is called Rocket in Britain.

Swiss Chard

Although the young leaves can be eaten raw, we usually pick the medium sized leaves to steam as a dinner vegetable.    Chard is easy to grow and continues to leaf out into summer.    Some varieties are colorful too.    When it starts to bolt, that is time to compost the plant and replant a fall crop.    This year, a couple of last year’s plants over-wintered and are first to leaf out in the spring garden.

Cilantro

Cilantro is an easy crop to grow.   It grows quickly, then bolts in the warmer weather.    It can be harvested as it develops and it will eventually flower, then go to seed.   Coriander seeds can be harvested in the fall.   It may reseed for the next spring if left to spread the seed.

These crops are planted now, and some will see successive plantings in mid-spring, then again for the fall.    Warm weather crops won’t be planted for another 6 weeks (although carrots and beets will germinate if the weather becomes warm).