Hi Calliope, I know what you mean, but those plants that can be planted before frost date usually can take frost easily. My nasturtiums, e.g. went through a few snow falls last year with their beautiful leaves and flowers before they finally yielded. I agree that one must know his area well and know how to estimate (though we cannot be 100% accurate). For some annuals, I wait 2 weeks after our formal frost dates, then check the forecast for the next 10 days, and if it looks good I can plant them. For tender annuals, I might wait a little longer or start indoor. For half-hardy or hardy annuals, I can start earlier.

My peas are up about 3 inches since sowing them on April 15th and I just sowed string bean seeds. I think I will think of some way to shade the peas if it suddenly gets hot and hope that helps. I wonder if I should mulch them to keep the soil cooler? We do enjoy lettuce and bok choy so I am going to go ahead and plant those and eat them young and if they bolt early, I will leave one or two to go to seed for the fall. Brassicas will have to wait for a fall crop I guess. I wonder about Kale? I grow in raised beds organically and the soil is constantly mulched with leaves and grass clippings and I often add kitchen scraps around the edges of the bed under the mulch, so there are lots of worms and the soil is good and loose. I shld get some quick growth. Oh good, beets and chard. IâÂÂll give those a try in the next few days. Nila, I often put tomato starts out early but I always use a Wall of Water around them and that works very well for me. HavenâÂÂt had a frost damaged tomato plant using those. pnbrown, I was lucky enough to be able to stop at that vegetable garden of JeffersonâÂÂs. Just a gorgeous location with so much space and rolling hills in the background and they keep the veggie garden immaculate. Yes, I donâÂÂt really get how someone in Virginia can be zone 6b or 7a and spring starts the same time as Massachusetts? Makes no sense to me.

Sorry, I think it's too late for most of the things on your list. You CAN definitely still plant lettuce, spinach, many of the Asian greens (various mustards, etc.), radishes, mache, escarole and endive. Broccoli and Cabbage probably wouldn't do anything now even from transplants -- they should go into the garden about mid-July for a fall crop. Beets and fall carrots should be planted by about August first. You wouldn't have a whole lot to lose by trying, but I doubt you'd get much of a root on either, since things grow more slowly in the autumn. If you had a coldframe to give them an extra month of growing time, it might work.

I planted the very same organic seed mix from Ace this year! Granted, I sowed the seed about 3 weeks ago now, but they did begin to germinate within 3 days (peas longer). I'm sure you'll get something, just maybe not the coverage you were hoping for. Like Ian said, it's probably fine.