Each variety has a distinctive texture and leaf shape. Many companies sell blends of leaf lettuce that contain seeds of several varieties. Some of these blends are so attractive they make a nice flower bed border. Add a few feet of spinach and you'll harvest your own gourmet spring salads. Both leaf lettuce and spinach do better in cool weather and are planted about four weeks before the date of average last frost.
Swiss chard is a heat-tolerant green.
Cooked, it is similar to spinach. Plant it about two weeks before the date of average last frost. Root Crops Beets and carrots are planted about two weeks before the date of the average last frost. They are good Crops for small Gardens because they require little space. Tomatoes Select a location for tomatoes that receives full sunlight eight or more hours a day.