It happens every year—the weather warms up and the impulse to plant becomes irresistible. “It’s spring! Let’s go!”, you say.

And lately, it seems to happen every year—a sneak-attack frost in late April zaps your early garden.

The point is, every region has its traditional frost date and it’s always later than you expect. Ask around and confirm. In Nevada City, people say it’s on Mother’s Day (do I really have to wait that long?)

I can heartily recommend a little Agribon frost protection for your garden. We sell it by the roll or as frost blankets. It’s good to know when you get growing that you can tuck your plants in at night. Our Freshman Farmers use it as a rule. You may want to invest in it and give yourself some peace of mind. We also carry portable greenhouse-type devices, like the fantastic Wall O’ Water and Solar Bells cloches. They’re essential for protecting from frost when you hear of an unexpected plunge in temperature.

Now is a good time to plant cold-season crops in our region, Grass Valley, CA. In our nursery you can find things to grow this minute: chard, mesclun mix, lettuce, mustard, things like that. Pak choy. Good stuff. You can check our Seed category for your cool-season favorites.

UC Davis Garden Web supplies California with invaluable information regarding last-frost dates. A great place to start is their home page. They offer a good overarching guide to California Frost Dates.