Best planting month

Next to October, March is the best planting month of the year. If you planted cool-season flowers last fall, however, your borders are already overflowing. So take advantage of March’s other virtue: It’s the first month of the year for planting summer vegetables. As soon as the ground is no longer soggy, dig up a patch in full sun, mix in organic soil amendment and fertilizer, and plant green beans, artichokes, beets, carrots, chayote, corn, New Zealand spinach, and tomatoes.

Check out Pat Welsh’s Southern California Gardening:A Month-by-Month Guide for more tips.