11 Crops You'd Be INSANE Not To Plant in May
1. Pattypan Squash: The Squash You Hated as a Kid
We used to throw tantrums over this one. Now we’re throwing it in a pan. Pattypans are summer squash with a fun shape and buttery flavor — think zucchini, but cuter. Plant 3–4 seeds in a mound, give them space, and get ready for omelet-like sautéed goodness.
2. Kabocha Squash: Store It for Winter, Eat It Like Pie
It’s called winter squash, but you plant it now. Kabocha is nutty, dense, and sweet — basically nature’s soup bowl. Direct-sow into compost-rich soil, and let the vines climb trees or trellises. You'll be eating pumpkins in pajamas come December.
3. San Marzano Roma Tomatoes: Summer, Distilled
Nothing — NOTHING — tastes like a homegrown tomato. Whether you’ve got room for indeterminates or need a compact determinate for a container, now’s the time to get them in. Just don’t forget the cage and the consistent watering.
4. Tiny Tim Alyssum: Your Garden’s Living Mulch (That Smells Amazing)
This low-growing flower doesn’t just look pretty — it attracts beneficial insects and acts like a living mulch, keeping your soil cool and moist. Plant it around veggies and let it do the heavy lifting for your garden's ecosystem.
5. Zinnias: The Flower Powerhouse
You can’t kill a zinnia. These cut-and-come-again blooms are a pollinator magnet and bloom like crazy if you stagger plantings every couple weeks. Direct-sow when nights are above 50°F and watch the bees move in.
6. Luffa Gourds: Sponge or Stir-Fry? Yes.
No, they don’t come from the ocean. Luffas are related to cucumbers and squash — harvest young for tender, zucchini-like fruit. Forget and let them mature? You’ve got a natural sponge. Grow them on an arch and watch the fruit hang like cave stalactites.
7. Okra: Southern Heat-Lover with Drama Queen Seeds
Start it indoors if your soil’s still chilly. Soak the seeds overnight and transplant once your bed’s warmed up. It’ll explode in heat, producing pods that are great in gumbo, curries, or fried up crispy.
8. Pickling Cucumbers: Because You’re the Pickle Guy Now
Pickling cukes are shorter, fatter, and crunchier — perfect for turning into fridge pickles. They love a trellis, and a single packet can give you 20 feet of vines. More pickles than you know what to do with? Not a bad problem to have.
9. Yard-Long Beans: The Showoff of the Bean World
One bean = eight green beans. Seriously. These long, snake-like beans need a strong trellis, but reward you with harvests deep into fall. Direct sow after frost, and wait for the jungle vines to take over.
10. Perpetual Spinach (Swiss Chard): The Leaf That Keeps on Giving
Not a true spinach — but it tastes like one and just. keeps. growing. Heat-tolerant, bolt-resistant, and borderline immortal if you keep harvesting the outer leaves. A perfect pick for new gardeners or anyone who wants reliable greens all season long.
11. That One Plant You’ve Been Putting Off
You know the one. The thing you keep meaning to try. Just go for it. Gardening’s all about experimenting. You’ll learn more from failing than from overthinking it.
We’ve got everything you need to start your May garden — from our beginner-friendly seed line to raised beds made from 100% recycled materials.
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"I grew the BI San Marzano tomatoes last summer. They were insanely prolific! We ended up with over 300 pounds when we harvested them in late September. They keep well. We still have 3-4 pounds in mid-January that are useable in salads."
Martha Y.
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"Gorgeous flowers. You get a waft of honey and slight jasmine when you walk past it. Scent is stronger when you get a giant clump of flowers like this."
Nora J.
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"Second year growing these. I have not tried pickling yet because I can't stop eating them fresh. So delicious with very great flavor, crispy and juicy. A bonus is they are also very pretty with their variegated colors. This will be one I grow every year."
Mary
Verified Buyer