Ariadne, I think your very best source of info for planting in Tucson is Native Seed Search. If you paste this link in your browser, it will bring up a discussion blog that is full of information. http://www.nativeseeds.org/phpBB3/index.php I'm not sure if you have to be a member to post, but you can probably get that answer from the link below. Here is a link that might be useful: Native Seed Search

Hello I;m on the southern coast of Maine and I have already direct seeded outside spinach, lettuce, peas, radishes,parsips, and shallots. My spinach and lettuce is already up. And I will continue to seed directly those vegetables every two weeks until June so that I have a steady supply of them. They are cool weather crops. Next week I will start my potatoes. Of course, I am already harvesting my chives wich are full of good minerals. Other nature's way of giving us a head start on something green before the first spring crop comes in. My egptain onions come up even before the chives are ready for harvest. so that is to good things to have in your garden. Plus once planted they come back year after year and require no work. In early May I will set out seedlings, small plants, that I grew from seeds inside, under lights, or some I get at a nursery: cabbage, broccoli,cauliflower and I will also at te same time direct seed. carrots. swiss chard, and kale. I will continue to direct seed the carrots and swiis chard every two weeks through mid July so I have a nice on going supply. The last frost date for Maine is usually considered to be memorial weekend. Some people claim you can start planting warm weather crops after the full moon in May. Many people will plant mid may while watching carefully for frost alerts and cover up their crops with sheets or some sort of covering if one is predicted. Some people cover their crops with cut out milk bottles over individual plants to keep them warm during a potential frost. Usually sunflowers, pumpkins, winter and summer sqaushes, eggplants, green bell peppers, watermellon, corn and tomatoes are not planted until early June, they need warm soil, as well as warm weather to thrive. raised beds do warm up faster then the ground and you can put clear plastic over your beds for a few weeks to help the soil heat up. It all can be overwhelming at first. But every year you will learn and master something new. What a great project for the kids and you. I wish you a bountiful harvest. READ as much as you can. You will slowly start to soak in all the information and learn to apply it to your garden! Remember if you don't feed your soil, if your soil is NOT feed the nutrients it needs, your crops will not thrive. Good soil is the foundation for a bountiful harvest. So make sure you give your soil what it needs so your plants can grow .

You posted two weeks ago with no comments and it is probably too late to help you now. I would hesitate to tell you to put them in the cold frame because I don't know enough about the temperatures of your cold frame, but have an idea about your kitchen counter. I would not expect roots for at least a month, and during that time you will need to watch your cuttings and vent them every couple of days to prevent growing mold on the soil and the cutting stem at soil level. When you can leave the tent off for 30 minutes or longer without the cutting wilting, you MIGHT have roots started. Sorry I did not see your post earlier. Al

Yes sir, peas are popular at the farmers' market. It isn't tuff to sell what's been picked especially if the customer has a choice of snap, snow, and shell peas. It isn't even all that tuff to pick 'em. Peas have to be the lowest production veggie out there. Don't let your kids grow cherry tomatoes, David. Certainly, the tiniest varieties shouldn't even be considered. We grew Jelly Beans one year - pick, pick, pick - uh, what's that? Half a cup? I'm not sure if I could carry a cattle panel out into the garden. A lot of my decision-making is based on infirmities. Probably, I should go with double rows and 2" chicken wire . . . Part of my technique, however, is to brace against wind storms. In that larger, more exposed veggie garden, I've even thought about "stapling" the melon vines to the ground!! pea pickin' digitS'