🌻

The Kentucky Garden

Lindsay's 2026 Planting Calendar ✨
🌡️ Lexington, KY  ·  Zone 6b  ·  Last Frost:  April 15  ·  First Fall Frost:  Oct 15
⛅ Lexington Forecast
Start Indoors
Transplant Outside
Direct Sow Outside
Harvest Window
Fall / Second Sow

← swipe to see all months →

🌿 Plant
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Warm-season crops love our Kentucky summers. Start most inside first!
🍅
Tomatoes
Start 6–8 wks before last frost
🌱 Start
🌱 Grow
🌤 Plant
🌿 Grow
🌿 Grow
🍅 Pick!
🍅 Pick!
🍅 Last!
🫑
Peppers
Start 8–10 wks — slowest starter!
🌱 Start
🌱 Grow
🌤 Plant
🌿 Grow
🌿 Grow
🫑 Pick!
🫑 Pick!
🫑 Last!
🥒
Zucchini
Direct sow or brief indoor start
🌱 Start
🌿 Sow!
🌿 Grow
🥒 Pick!
🥒 Pick!
🥒 Last!
🥗
Cucumbers
Loves warm soil — don't rush it
🌱 Start
🌿 Sow!
🌿 Grow
🥗 Pick!
🥗 Pick!
🎃
Pumpkins
Need 90–120 days — plan ahead!
🌿 Sow!
🌿 Grow
🌿 Grow
🎃 Size
🎃 Pick!
🎃 Pick!
🥔
Potatoes
Plant seed potatoes in cool soil
🥔 Plant
🌿 Hill
🌿 Grow
🌿 Grow
🥔 Dig!
🥔 Dig!
These love spring & fall — they actually prefer NOT to be planted in summer heat!
🥬
Lettuce
Two seasons — spring & fall!
🌿 Sow!
🌿 Sow!
🥬 Pick!
🥬 Last!
🍂 Sow!
🥬 Pick!
🥬 Pick!
🌿
Kale
Frost makes it sweeter!
🌿 Sow!
🌿 Grow
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🍂 Sow!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
Fresh herbs from the garden are pure magic in the kitchen ✨
🌿
Basil
Heat-lover — wait for warm nights
🌱 Start
🌱 Grow
🌤 Plant
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Last!
🌱
Cilantro
Cool season — bolts in summer heat
🌿 Sow!
🌿 Sow!
🌿 Pick!
🌱 Seeds
🍂 Sow!
🌿 Pick!
🌿
Parsley
Biennial — slow to germinate
🌱 Start
🌱 Wait
🌱 Grow
🌤 Plant
🌿 Grow
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌾
Thyme
Hardy perennial — comes back each year!
🌱 Start
🌱 Grow
🌤 Plant
🌾 Pick!
🌾 Pick!
🌾 Pick!
🌾 Pick!
🌾 Pick!
🌾 Pick!
🌿
Rosemary
Tricky from seed — consider buying a plant!
🌱 Start
🌱 Wait
🌱 Grow
🌱 Grow
🌤 Plant
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!
🌿 Pick!

🌱 Your 800 sq ft Garden

With 2 raised beds plus open ground, you have a beautiful layout. A few ideas:

  • Reserve raised beds for herbs & salad greens (better drainage)
  • Give tomatoes, peppers & zucchini the open ground where they can spread
  • Pumpkins need the most space — let them roam an edge!

🌡️ Kentucky Frost Tips

  • Last frost: April 15 — but watch forecasts!
  • Keep frost cloth handy in April for surprise cold snaps
  • Tomatoes & peppers: wait until nighttime temps are 50°F+
  • Basil is the most cold-sensitive — never rush it outside

✨ A Few Extra Ideas

Things that would absolutely thrive with your setup:

  • 🌻 Sunflowers — cheerful pollinators, direct sow May
  • 🫐 Strawberries — perfect in raised beds!
  • 🧅 Green onions / chives — easy, perennial
  • 🌼 Marigolds — plant near tomatoes to deter pests

📅 Right Now (March)

You can start right now today:

  • ✅ Start tomatoes & peppers indoors
  • ✅ Start rosemary & parsley indoors
  • ✅ Direct sow lettuce, kale & cilantro outside!
  • ✅ Plant seed potatoes in mid-March
  • 🕐 Wait until May for basil, zucchini, cucumbers