So this years gardening journey continues. I have started tomatoes from seed, I have got my soil ready and I have spent some time planning my garden. While this has all been fun and I have been learning a lot this year from Elspeth at Wile’s Lake Farm Market, the real fun starts now…it’s time to start planting! Here are some cool weather crops to plant now.

I love this part. I love getting seeds in the soil and then beginning my season of hope and anticipation. I wander, I walk, I weed, I spend a lot of time outside in my little garden area. Sometimes I just sit out there and have coffee….just looking at everything…and I feel peaceful and happy. There are studies that point to the outdoors are increasing our mood and being important for our mental health. Combine that with a fun activity like growing your own food…and what could be better?! 😉

So here on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, we have to pay attention to “last frost” dates and do our planting accordingly. The tomato seedlings I am tending to, won’t be going out into the garden beds until June. It’s still early for a lot of things, but there are cool weather crops we can plant now. Lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes, peas, kale, beets and cilantro are all things you can plant in April/early May here in Nova Scotia.

So after spending some time jotting down ideas in my garden journal, I headed outside and began to plant some transplants and seeds, paying attention to the information around spacing on the back of my seed packets.

I also plan to space my sowing of seeds. I have put in a row of lettuce, purple mizuna, mesclun, kale, peas, etc, and we’ll sow more rows of those seeds in about 3 weeks so that I will have those crops well into the season and not just all at one time. Another great reason to use a garden journal is to keep track of planting dates so you’ll know when to plant again.

I love the look of a trellis with a climbing plant, so I was really excited this year to spot this Tee Pee Trellis at Wile’s Lake Farm Market. I planted my Sugar Ann Bush Peas around it and can’t wait to see it fill in!

Getting some cool weather crops in the ground is an exciting time after a long winter. Have you planted anything yet? Are you planting any transplants or just direct sowing the seeds into the soil? I’d love to hear what’s happening in your garden right now.

* “Grow with Me and Wile’s Lake Farm Market” is sponsored by Wile’s Lake Farm Market located in Wileville. They carry all kinds of seeds and transplants to get you started in your garden with cool weather crops this spring. Their knowledgeable staff is also available to answer any questions you might have.