Now is a great time to start planning your summer garden. If you’re thinking about your summer garden, now is the time to start sowing the seeds indoor. Generally, it’s best to start seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last frost. In Austin, the latest freeze has been March 29th. So if you start sowing your seeds now, you’re safe from a hard freeze and can plant the seedlings outdoors in April.

What to plant?

If you’re new to outdoor gardening you might not know what to plant. Staples like tomatoes, cucumbers and zuchini are always a safe bet, but the climate in Austin is great for asperagus, carrots and parsnips in the early months. Peppers, eggplant and sweet potatoes are perfect in April, May and June and Cauliflower and beets are a great choice for late summer/early fall.

Planning your summer Garden

It’s never been easier to start planning your summer garden. Gardening has gone high tech with a variety of garden planners available for your phone, desktop computer or tablet. Check out the App Store or Google Play for the appropriate apps for your device.

The Farmer’s Almanac has a fantastic garden planning app and they even have a free trial. Click here for more info. Using this app makes it easier than ever before to design your garden. Drag and drop plants into rows or columns to create your perfect garden.

It comes with a journal to keep you on track with your garden. Get helpful reminders to water, prune, weed and fertilize your garden. It also gives you handy tips to use throughout the year and you can keep notes about what works and what doesn’t so you don’t make the same mistake next year.

Living in a hot and humid climate like Austin, TX makes it easy to grow herbs, vegetables and fruits for a good portion of the year.