Here in central Ohio, Mother’s Day marks the traditional season for warm weather plants. Right now, it’s still a little too early. I’m planning to stick to cold weather plants for now.

May 15, give or take a few days, is the frost free date for my zone, which simply means there is a very slim chance we would have a killing frost. So, it’s safe to set out vegetables and plants that love it warm. Well, almost safe.

I am waiting a few more weeks to plant basil seeds. Trust me: those tender, fragrant leaves will catch up to the store bought plants in no time.

Don’t spend money on basil plants from a nursery. It’s so easy to grow basil from seed. But not today—patience on the basil. I’m also waiting on the pepper, tomato, and tomatillo plants.

It’s not just the weather that has me waiting to plant the heat lovers. I will be out of town for a week, basking in California. The warm sun and blue sky is apt to make me forget the cool and cloudy spring of home. The more heat finicky plants can wait.

Cold Weather Plants

Parsley

I am confidently setting out little parsley plants that I grew from seed. This year I’m trying two kinds of flat leaf Italian parsley: Giante dItalia and Catalogno. There is a difference in flavor. One year I didn’t have time to grow my own parsley and picked up plants from the nursery. It just didn’t taste the same. This year I’m conducting a taste test experiment. The parsley plants could have been set out earlier because of what I observe in my garden, which is the best teacher. The few parsley seedlings that came up from last year have been thriving in the cool weather for many weeks.

Kale

I am also setting out nasturtiums and Red Bor kale. Nasturtiums like the cool weather. Empress of India is one of my favorites. It’s an heirloom variety with dark blue green leaves and scarlet red flowers. The flowers and leaves are edible. Nasturtiums are lovely for salads and enchanting for children.

Red Bor kale is a large plant with dark purplish black, curly, ruffled leaves. I saw it growing in the ornamental perennial border of a famous garden author in among her flowers. A few years ago I planted it in containers. That Red Bor kale lasted through cold and heat, drought and torrential rain—an entire year in the container. It’s not easy to find at the nursery, so I grow my own.