Late winter is the best time to plan a spring garden: seed catalogs arrive, you have time to sketch beds, and you can start seeds indoors at the right moment.
1. Find your frost dates and zone
Your average last spring frost date sets the timing for everything. Get it from your local extension office or a trusted frost-date tool for your area.
2. Review last year
What grew well, what failed and what you wished you had planted more of.
3. Sketch your beds
Draw each bed on grid paper, plan spacing from seed packets and rotate crop families out of last year's spots where you can.
4. Take a seed inventory
List seeds you have, how old they are, and what to buy before favorites sell out.
5. Make a seed starting schedule
Count back from your last frost date using the weeks given on each seed packet for indoor starting and transplanting.
6. Keep planting and harvest logs
Note what you planted where and when, and what you harvested. Next year's plan gets easier.
Checklist
- ☐ Zone and last frost date noted
- ☐ Last year reviewed
- ☐ Beds sketched
- ☐ Seed inventory done
- ☐ Seeds ordered
- ☐ Seed starting dates set
- ☐ Planting and harvest logs ready
Timing varies by location; use your local extension office and seed packets for dates. Starting a fresh year? See 2027 money goals too.