It’s Time To Plant Something!

The weather in May has, so far, been pretty remarkable on Cape Cod. We can almost watch the plants grow in our yards and gardens! As I write this on May 11th the seven day forecast is for the temperatures at night to be above 50 degrees. This is our standard sign for putting houseplants outside, planting tender plants such as most summer annuals and vegetables, and placing tropicals outside. Does this mean that it’s now safe to plant all of these things? We can only say maybe.

If you want to take a chance, start planting annuals now. If you want to be sure your tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, for example, won’t suffer or die, wait a week and check the long range forecast again.

In the meantime, there are perennials, shrubs and trees to put into the ground. Many people in the Northeast lost plants such as lavender, roses, and butterfly bush in the cold winter. Others found such significant damage on azaleas and other shrubs that they’ve decided to remove those plants and put something new in that place.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or replacing things that were killed in the winter, spring is an exciting time. The Plant Something Massachusetts folks remind us of that excitement with their slogan: Don’t just stand there…plant something!  Go to their website to find details about their May 15th Plant Something Photo Contest.