On the first day last week that hinted that spring might be coming I visited my rototiller. I am almost embarrassed to admit that it was still sitting in the corner of my vegetable garden where it had ceased its labors in 2003.

It is a big heavy model with rear tynes that bears a nameplate known for its willingness to start. Worried, I opened the fuel line and the choke. I yanked the starter rope and on the first pull it began to chatter that the spring garden season was here.

By the time you read this, I will have my peas, spinach and a few onions in the ground. That's about the right timing but still is a week or ten days earlier than I usually get there.

If I'm brazen, I may add a few lettuce plants and a selection from the cabbage family. If I do I will think about providing a little protection. Usually I plant the cabbage family after April 10. Cabbage and brussel sprouts are the toughest. Broccoli, and especially cauliflower, show some cold sensitivity.

Spring plantings of cauliflower and brussel sprouts and often broccoli will never give the results you get with fall planting, but I still do it.

If you are in a race to get the first tomato you can start watching the weather after April 20. Again think protection for the coldest nights. If you want to be practical, plant on the first warming trend after May 1.

Beets, carrots and even beans can go in the ground in April. Many years ago I was horrified to see a neighbor planting beans in mid April. He also had beans long before I did. Now I plant a bit earlier.

If you plant potatoes, it's time. Sweet corn can be planted by mid to late April or you can wait. One thing to think about is that the first round of ear worms hatch in late July. If you don't wish to spray, target maturities to miss that time.

Vine crops, peppers and eggplants do not like it cold. I have planted as early as the last days of April but with less than perfect results. I would wait until maybe May 10. Again the weather is more important than the calendar.

For pumpkins, I suggest planting about June 1. Earlier planting may force you to celebrate Halloween in August.

I'm sure your local greenhouse operator will be happy to sell you plants of many of these. Closer to the city you may find most of them as started plants. Get plants for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, the cabbage family and maybe lettuce. The rest work best from seed, but I still usually use plants for the cantaloupes and squash.

So much for the vegetable garden. Now if I can find the lawn mower I will zip through all my accessible perennial gardens before the re-growth forces me to do the clean up by hand.