That is a lot of work, haven't tried that yet, but it probably is much more labor & dirt fill than I imagined or would even want to tackle. I don't have room for veggies, darn, but somebody gave me a tomato so I planted it on the side of the house and stuck a cage over it, threw some partially rotted leaves on it for mulch.

I've only set out my poppies so far, had 3 milk jugs of them, they looked so filled out in the jugs and now that they are in the ground, they look blah, smallish, hope they fill out, am hoping with these "plugs", they will self seed. The weather has been ideal when not too soggy soil for transplanting, overcast mostly, don't like to transplant in the sun if at all possible.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I think salvia does better if you plant much later when it's warmed up some. Last year I started them in the house, but they grew crooked, had to stake them, then they did strengthen and straighten up when I finally transplanted them outside after little/no hardening off, window open w/screen was it. I notice several have commented about failures with various types of salvia. All mine have sprouted, about 6 containers of them, started them about a month ago outside where they get a little bit of sun, too hot, go to shade. I've got several KFC-type containers, the germination rate isn't great, but plenty. Tonight I want to get all my blue crystal (a lot of those) transplanted into 6 packs because I want to space them out with white zinnias I also transplanted into 6 packs for right in front.

The other stuff, I will slice, dice, and plop lol. I'm waiting for it to get bigger and stronger so it can tolerate being put into the garden areas and only being watered once a day or less. If you put it in too small in a dry place, you have to mist it a lot, same if you remove the plastic lids which sometimes I have to do.

I wanted to get one of those swan neck hoes, they are very expensive, and now the place online that carries the kind I wanted is out.

One thing I've found that is a great help to me when I'm transplanting from 6 packs or up to 16 oz plastic cups is to use a bulb planter, makes it go a lot faster and not so hard on my back. I've got 3 now, one horrid, one if you step on it hard and twist and twist does ok, so I bought one with jaws at HD last year and a trigger release in the handle. I like that one, but sometimes wet soil gets stuck in it plus I don't think it will tear through sod without an awful struggle for naturalizing bulbs, have to use my drill and augur for that & still run into probs.

Just some thoughts on a wet, cold day, my first year for ws'ing, only 10 jugs, all but one germinated but sparsely except poppies too thick. The failure was one I wanted a lot, have another pack of seeds but they may not be any good and take forever to germinate. That's why I have a packet of Russian sage sitting unopened, takes too long.

The reasons you list are among the reasons I plant the way I do.

Milk jugs- cut into little hunks with a knife, make a little hole with a spoon, plunk in, run to the next one. No hard digging for me.

Also prefer early transplanting. Rain is more plentiful then, weather usually not so hot. Watering not so much of an effort. By the time the spring rains end and summer heat arrives, I like to have most stuff established with their feet happy in a garden bed, their toes stretching to search out the water.

Karen

I'm just starting planting out as well. Last week was my first week off for the summer break and it was spent finishing the back fence, constructing gates, and making a new flower bed in front. This week I've been planting the new bed (with a mixture of WS babies, plants from my pot ghetto bought on sale in the fall, and divided plants from other beds). I'm also eliminating a small bed that is in the way of the planned front picket fence so everything in that bed has to find a home elsewhere.

I'm putting off working on the new back beds until I get the front finished since the front is in full sun and I'm trying to finish it before the "big heat" begins (it's already getting to the 80's somedays). Oh, and I'm trying to finish an arbor my hubby started about 8 months ago.

Somedays I feel like I get nothing accomplished because there are so many little jobs still undone.
I have a feeling I'm going to be happy to go back to "work" when summer school begins June 16, lol!

I have planted out a few containers,mostly things screaming to be released! I will finish one of the beds I wanted ready "by now", today, and planting I will go! I have jugs sitting around the yard in their soon to be new homes. Our temps are to be a little cooler today and we had a nice amount of rain yesterday,so the ground should be just right (I hope! ).I have 2 beds that still need to be created,those will wait awhile longer. I am planning mostly perennials for them,so starting those later on will not effect my planting out now. So far I have 4 new beds just waiting for their new tenants!
The Fairy Wings poppies I planted out 2 days ago are showing a great improvement since being in the ground,they were starting to look pretty sad in their container,so I am really happy they have perked up ! :)