Our dank, cool spring continues but the winter crops flourish. Usually by mid-April the garden is mostly cleared for summer crops. Aphids thrive in the warmer weather and typically ravish the kale and other brassicas by now. Lettuce and spinach bolt.

Radishes seem to grow better in my garden as the spring days lengthen and remain cool. My October planted ones seem to need more consistent moisture that I provide and occasional hot days deter them. I’ll keep planting radishes in succession this month until they falter.

I am enchanted by the colors of Easter Egg II and only plant those. Magenta is the favorite.

Because of travel in March I waited to plant my tomato seeds until I returned in early April. It doesn’t appear that will be a problem, though usually by now the seedlings spend their days outside in the sun. Today it was cloudy and a high of 57 degrees F with brisk breezes. I don’t own a grow light because usually bright windows and sunny days keep my seedlings from becoming leggy. New territory to navigate as we all accommodate to unusual growing conditions.

The carrots are hefty and I hesitated to pull more until I could connect with my 4 year-old grandson in Seattle on FaceTime—the next best option. I’d love to watch him pull the carrots.

Celery is winding down though cell structure is intact because of adequate moisture. Some would defer it raw as the flavor changes but a little peanut butter masks that and undetectable when cooked. Small white insects, presumably aphids wash off easily and do not affect quality. UC IPM (University of California Integrated Pest Management) is my first stop for identifying pests on specific crops.

Easter leftovers suggested a Cobb-type salad with garden contributions of lettuce, carrots, celery and radishes. Though the day was chilly for a salad, I was heartened by the refrigerator roundup as presented.

The ranunculus growing in my sidewalk garden are show stoppers. The bulbs are available from Easy to Grow Bulbs. They’re hardy in zones 8-11, but in zones 3-7 purchase when available and plant in spring. I lift the bulbs after they’ve dried and usually double the previous year’s bulb count.

My bulbs were originally grown in The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California where 55 acres of ranunculus have announced the arrival of spring in Southern California for over 60 years. The season is typically March through early May.

Check the What I’m Planting Now page as I think spring in the garden. Then head to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Happy Acres Blog and see what garden bloggers around the world harvested last week.

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