Tall varieties will need support for climbing. Tall peas cling weakly and will need frequent tying. They die out in spring as soon as the weather turns warm. Plant the large-leaf kind from seed September through April. Swiss chard is treated like spinach but isn't as fussy about weather or soil.
Chard produces nearly non-stop year round.
At the first sign of flower buds forming in the center of a spinach plant, harvest the entire crop rather than let the spinach set seeds. Chard can be planted the same way, or you can broadcast chard seeds. This crop has a big following in the Bay Area because it grows exceptionally well here. Give broccoli the same treatment as cabbage and cauliflower. Plant from seed February through March and July through August.