At last, the weather is warming up, and we can soon begin planting all annuals and vegetables in our gardens – but only when the risk of frost has been eliminated. At Van Luyk’s, our general rule of thumb is May 24th. However, purchasing plants earlier is still possible, and you can let them toughen up by placing them outside during the day and bringing them inside at night if frost threatens.

Purchasing early will ensure the best selection, and allowing your plants to harden off actually produces a stronger, healthier plant. Many plants can also be planted now, including:

• Trees and shrubs
• Small fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, and BrazelBerries
• All perennials and grasses
• Hardy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, onions, shallots, garlic, chives, leeks, lettuce, and cauliflower can tolerate some coolness or a light frost
• Some of the more frost-tender vegetables such as cucumbers, eggplant, celery, corn, peppers, zucchini, and squash are best planted the last week of May or even the first week of June (after all risk of frost and the ground is warmer).

Growing your own food can be both fun and challenging, especially during the Ontario growing season, which puts us at the mercy of our wonderfully crazy climate! If you have any questions, our experienced staff are happy to help in-store, or check out our gardening tips page for more helpful hints and planting guidelines.