What to plant in Cool Climates during May
Novella Pea is a 'leafless' shelling pea variety. Novella Pea grows as a bush reaching 75cm in height that does not produce as many leaves as other pea varieties. Instead, the Novella Pea produces tendrils that web together to provide support for the plant. Novella Pea is a yielding variety that produces all season long. Novella Peas are sweet, tender, and juicy.
Brown Spanish Onion produces a light brown globe shaped bulb, that is medium in size and has a strong, pungent flavour. Brown Spanish Onion is relatively early-maturing compared to other brown-onion varieties and stores well. This onion variety needs a sunny spot in your garden (a minimum of around 6 hours per day) and regular watering. Harvest Brown Spanish Onion when the green onion tops start to wilt and turn brown. This onion variety performs well in pots and containers.
Amposta Purple Onion produces a reddish-purple coloured bulb that is medium is size and midly-sweet in flavour. Amposta Purple Onion requires 12 to 14 hours of consistent sunlight hours per day to form a uniform bulb and regular watering. Harvest Amposta Purple Onion when the green onion tops start to wilt and turn brown. Amposta Purple Onion can be harvested early as 'spring onions' and the green onion tops are also edible. This onion variety performs excellent in pots and containers as small as 3 litres.
Romanian Red Cos Lettuce is a bi-colour variety which has deep-red and vibrant green leaves that grow vertically to form a loose head. Romanian Red Cos is slow bolting and can handle warmer climates, so it is a great lettuce variety to add to your garden for the summer. The outside lettuce leaves can be harvested as required during the growing season and this will also encourage more plant growth. Romanian Red Cost Lettuce prefers rich well-draining soil and a sunny spot in your garden (but it can tolerate partial shade). Romanian Red Cos Lettuce may require protection from the sun during the extreme heats of summer. Protect your lettuce from pests like snails, slugs, and aphids.
Grow your own 'iceburg' lettuce! Great Lakes Lettuce is your common, drum-head lettuce with crisp, slightly crinkled leaves. Great Lakes Lettuce is easy to grow, slow bolting, and can handle a partially shady spot in your garden. While Great Lakes Lettuce dislikes extreme heats, this variety can handle hot conditions better than other lettuce varieties — so it will be a great addition to your garden in the summertime! This lettuce variety can grow well in a variety of different soils, but it will need to be protected from pests like snails, slugs, and aphids.
Grow your own baby spinach! This variety of spinach is best for baby leaf production. This means you don't need to wait for your spinach to reach full maturity before your first harvest. Pick your spinach leaves as you need them. Baby spinach leaves can be picked as early as 3 to 4 weeks in. This variety of spinach can also be grown as a microgreen.
Oregon Sugar Pod Snow Pea plants are a dwarf variety of pea that grows up to 90cm tall. Oregon Sugar Pod Snow Pea plants are high-yielding, low maintenance and resistant to powdery mildew. This variety of snow pea produces pods that can grow up to 10cm in length. Pods are sweet, crisp, and high in vitamins A, B and C. Oregon Sugar Pod Snow Pea plants can be staked or left to grow horizontally across your garden.
White Icicle Radish forms a carrot-shaped edible root that is snow white and mild in flavour. White Icicle Radishes can grow up to 15cm long, are crisp in texture and have a thin skin. This variety of radish is fast growing, early maturing and can handle being planted in an area that only gets partial sun.
French Breakfast Radish produce cylindrical edible roots that grow to around 5cm long. Radishes have a deep pink and white skin and white flesh, with large leafy green tops growing 15cm tall. French Breakfast Radishes have a crisp texture but are relatively mild in flavour. This variety of radish is fast growing, early maturing and can handle being planted in an area that only gets sun for half of the day.
Get the birds and the bees buzzing in your garden with our Butterfly Mix! Our Butterfly Mix contains Monarda didyna (Beebalm), Rudbeckia (Black/brown Eyed Susans), Liatris (Blazing Star), Nepeta — Catmint (similar to Catnip, but does not entice cats), Echinacea, Ageratum (Floss Flower), Lavender, Asclepias (Tropical Milkweed), Phlox (Garden Phlox), Salvia (Common Garden Sage), Antirrhinum (Snapdragon), Achillea (Yarrow), and Zinnia seeds. Not only will this combination of flower seeds look aesthetic and attract butterflies to your garden, but it will also diversity your backyard ecosystem and provide the butterflies with the nectar they need to pollinate your plan
Sugar Snap Bon Pea are a popular, high-yielding variety that produces crisp, sweet, stringless pods. Sugar Snap Bon Pea plants can grow up to 50cm tall and produce pods of around 8cm long. Sugar Snap Bon Peas are low maintenance and are resistant to powdery mildew. This is a climbing variety of pea that will require staking or a trellis for support.