A Zone 7 Garden Plan for 2023

Starting a garden can be confusing and overwhelming, especially for anyone new to gardening. When I first began gardening, the internet was foe, not friend. Information abounds, but it can be hard to synthesize all that knowledge for one’s particular growing conditions. There are endless instructions, many contradictory, on how to nurture plants, achieve the best soil, and fertilize. I had no idea where to start or how to choose what would work best for my garden. It’s taken a lot of trial and error, but every year I feel more confident in creating and maintaining a healthy and thriving garden.

This is a broad overview of some of my garden goals for this year. Some of my ability to execute this plan will depend on what plants are available at local nurseries. I realize this plan is zone-specific, but I hope that breaking it out by month can give you some ideas for how to garden in your own zone.

•  March:
  • Plant cool-season crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, lettuce, spinach, and peas.
  • Start seeds indoors for warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
  • Plant early-spring annuals and biennials such as sweet peas and poppies.
  • Plant cool-season perennials such as peonies, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans.
• April:
  • Plant cool-season crops if you didn’t get them in the ground in March.
  • Plant root crops such as carrots, beets, and radishes.
  • Transplant seedlings of warm-season crops outdoors.
  • Plant early-spring annuals and biennials such as sweet peas and poppies.
  • Plant cool-season perennials such as peonies, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans.
• May:
  • Plant warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, and zucchini.
  • Plant herbs such as basil, oregano, and thyme.
  • Plant warm-season annuals such as zinnias, sunflowers, and snapdragons.
  • Plant tuberous perennial flowers such as dahlias.
  • Plant all companion plants: marigolds, nasturium, basil, dill, borage, chives, calendula.
• June:
  • Harvest cool-season crops.
  • Plant a second round of warm-season crops such as beans, corn, and okra.
  • Plant warm-season annuals such as zinnias, sunflowers, and snapdragons.
  • Plant tuberous perennial flowers such as dahlias.
• July:
  • Harvest warm-season crops.
  • Plant fall crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
• August:
  • Harvest fall crops.
  • Plant cool-season crops such as lettuce, spinach, and radishes.
• September:
  • Plant cool-season crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale.
  • Start seeds indoors for cool-season crops to be planted in October.
  • Order tulips, daffodils, lilies and other bulbs.
  • Plant spring-blooming bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and lilies.
  • Plant fall-blooming perennials such as asters and mums.
  • Plant cool-season annuals such as cabbages and pansies, with tulip and daffodil bulbs underneath.
• Oct
  • Put out pumpkins.
  • Order amaryllis and paperwhites for growing indoors.
  • Plant cool-season crops that were started indoors in September.
  • Harvest cool-season crops planted in August.
  • Plant fall-blooming perennials such as cabbages, asters and mums.
• Nov
  • Plant spring-blooming bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and lilies.
  • Plant fall-blooming perennials such as asters and mums.
  • Plant cool-season annuals such as pansies.

 
As the weather warms up and the days get longer, I can’t wait to start my Zone 7 garden plan for 2023. From the first blooms of spring to the bounty of a summer harvest, there is nothing quite like the joy of a thriving garden! And on that note, enjoy this gallery of photos I have captured this past week!