The last average frost date for south coastal British Columbia is March 28. This is a handy reference point for all your garden planning. Basically, this is the month gardeners in this region must use to get ready to take full advantage of the growing season ahead.
Below is a list of seeds to start in March. By starting your seeds in March, they will be ready for transplanting into the garden by the time the nighttime temperatures have warmed up in May. Other seeds actually benefit from cool weather and the risk of frost, and they are shown below for direct sowing in March.
If you live outside of south coastal British Columbia, you can use still make use of this reference. Simply think of it as a list of the seeds to start two to four weeks before your last average frost date. Click here to view our Regional Planting Charts that have been adjusted for other regions based on those dates.
Click on the links below for full planting instructions.
For starting indoors:
Agastache
Alyssum
Asclepias
Asparagus
Bergamot
Broccoli
Cabbage
Catnip
Cauliflower
Celery & Celeriac
Chives
Chrysanthemum
Columbine
Coreopsis
Cynoglossum
Delphinium
Echinacea
Florence Fennel (bulbing fennel)
Gaillardia
Gaura
Hollyhocks
Iberis
Leeks
Lettuce
Lobelia
Lovage
Marigolds
Marjoram
Mint
Morning Glory
Nemophila
Nicotiana
Onions
Oregano
Peppers
Physalis
Rosemary
Rudbeckia
Sage
Thyme
Tithonia
Tomatoes (March 15th is ideal, transplant end of May/early June)
Verbena
Viola
Yarrow
Seeds to direct sow in March:
Ammi
Arugula
Broad Beans
Calendula
California Poppies
Celosia
Corn Salad
Cornflowers
Cosmos
Gypsophila
Kale & Collards
Lavatera (late in the month)
Lavender
Lunaria
Lupins
Marigolds
Pac Choi & Mustard Greens
Peas
Poppies
Radishes
Scabiosa
Spinach
Sweet Peas
Wallflowers
Wildflower Mixes (March is the best time for these!)
These are recommendations for South Coastal BC, the Gulf Islands & Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island and West of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon. If you live outside of these regions, please have a look at our Regional Planting Charts - you can download them for free as pdf files for easy reference.
