Why You Should Be Planting Herbs Right Now

Spring is in full swing now, and it’s time to get serious about planting! For warm regions, heat-loving vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants are ready to go in the ground. But you may need to hold off until the end of the month or later in northern climates, especially if the nights still get down into the 40s. For much of the country, annual flowers can be planted now. For less hardy annuals that don’t like a bit of frost—impatients, for example—wait until after your area’s last expected frost date. Hardy flowers, such as sweet alyssum and snapdragons, will take some cool nights, though not a hard freeze. Check with your local university coop extension service (find yours here) for the last frost date in your area.

Typically, here’s what you can plant in May: