There’s still time to start a spring garden, but starting your own garden can be intimidating. So let’s talk about how to prepare and what to plant.
What to Plant
Bookmark Almanac’s planting calendar — it will help you decide the best time to plant different things in Portland. Here’s a quick guide:
- For the colder part of spring — peas, carrots, spinach, and broccoli.
- For the warmer part of spring — cucumbers, potatoes, and swiss chard.
- Herbs like mint and parsley come back every year, making them an easy place to start. (But mint in particular likes to spread. So be mindful about where and how you plant it.)
- Consult the planting calendar from Portland Nursery for more details.
- And consider some native plant options.
Where to Get Garden Supplies
The benefit of shopping local is that you’ll have access to experts who can give you gardening advice specific to Portland. Here are some of our favorites:
- Portland Nursery
- Garden Fever
- Bosky Dell (particularly for native plants)
- Tony’s Garden Center
- Garden Color at the Hillsdale Farmers Market
If you’d rather buy online, retailers like Seed Savers and Burpee have a wide selection of seeds for flowers, vegetables, and herbs, along with heirloom varieties. Just be sure to reference Almanac’s planting calendar for what seeds you should get.
What’s thriving in your garden right now?
