Planting calendar
Zone 3 Planting Calendar
In zone 3 the last spring frost typically passes late May to early June and the first fall frost arrives mid-September. A short, intense season: everything happens between June and September. The calendar below hangs every planting window on those two dates.
How this calendar is made
Derived from each plant's type, USDA hardiness zones and bloom months, crossed with zone 3's typical frost dates, as stored in the BloomsEye library, which was written with AI assistance. Of these 1,116 plants, 640 have been checked against outside sources (49 fully verified); the rest have not been checked yet, and each plant's own page says which. The cards are AI-generated illustrations. Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Prefer pictures? Browse every plant hardy in zone 3.
January in zone 3
Deep winter in zone 3: the ground is closed and the last frost is still ahead (late May to early June). A month for planning, not planting. Browse the guides.
February in zone 3
Deep winter in zone 3: the ground is closed and the last frost is still ahead (late May to early June). A month for planning, not planting. Browse the guides or see what is in flower in February in zone 3.
March in zone 3
Deep winter in zone 3: the ground is closed and the last frost is still ahead (late May to early June). A month for planning, not planting. Browse the guides or see what is in flower in March in zone 3.
April in zone 3
One more month of winter in zone 3: hardy planting opens in May, as the soil loosens ahead of the late May to early June last frost. Browse the guides or see what is in flower in April in zone 3.
May in zone 3
Frost is still likely until late May to early June, but the soil is opening: hardy plants can go in as soon as it is workable.
Perennials, shrubs and trees526
- Abbotswood
- Alabama Jubilee Daylily
- Alba
- Alba Gayfeather
- Alpine Carpet Juniper
- Amazing Grace
- Amber Jubilee
- American Cranberrybush Viburnum
- American Elderberry
- American Hophornbeam
- American Hornbeam
- American Linden
- American Wintergreen
- Amethyst Dream Bachelor Button
- Amethyst in Snow Bachelor's Button
- Angel Bells Clustered Bellflowers
- Annabelle
- Apollo Winterberry
- Appalachian Sedge
- Apricot Delight
- Apricot Sparkles
- Arborvitae
- Arctic Fire Red Twig Dogwood
- Arctic Fire Yellow Dogwood
- Arizona Apricot
- Arizona Sun
- Aromatic Aster
- Arrowwood
- Aster
- Astilbe
Showing 30 of 526; every plant hardy here is on the zone 3 hub.
Bulbs to plant2
Cool-season annuals, before the last frost28
- Black Pansy
- Blue Pansy
- California Poppy
- California Poppy (Cream/White)
- California Poppy (Rose/Pink Mix)
- Cream Stock
- Ivory Castle
- Lavender Stock
- Mikado
- Orange Pansy
- Pansy
- Parsley
- Purple Face Pansy
- Purple Gleam
- Purple Stock
- Red Pansy
- Red Stock
- Rose Chiffon
- Rose Pansy
- Rose Stock
- Sorbet Viola
- Stock
- White Pansy
- White Stock
- Yellow Blotch Pansy
- Yellow California Poppy
- Yellow Pansy
- Yellow Viola
Start a zone 3 May planting list in the Studio
Already planted? See what is in flower in May in zone 3.
June in zone 3
Frost danger in zone 3 typically ends late May to early June, so the tender plants below go in as that date passes where you are, not before it.
After the last frost471
- African Daisy
- African Marigold
- Agapanthus
- Ageratum
- Amaryllis Belladonna
- Angelface Blue Summer Snapdragon
- Angelface Perfectly Pink Summer Snapdragon
- Angelface Raspberry
- Angelface Super Blue Summer Snapdragon
- Angelface White Summer Snapdragon
- Angelonia
- Annual Phlox
- Apricot Calendula
- Apricot Lemonade
- Apricot Lisianthus
- Apricot Marguerite Daisy
- Apricot Statice
- Apricot Strawflower
- Apricot Sweet Alyssum
- Apricot Tuberous Begonia
- Apricot Vinca
- Arabian Night
- Australia
- Autumn Beauty
- Bachelor's Button
- Bacopa
- Bandana Cherry
- Bandana Pink
- Bandana Rose
- Basil
Showing the first 30 of 471 by name.
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in May is still open (526 plants).
The bulb window that opened in May is still open (2 plants).
The cool-season annual window that opened in May is still open (28 plants).
Start a zone 3 June planting list in the Studio
Already planted? See what is in flower in June in zone 3.
July in zone 3
The last frost (late May to early June) is typically behind you and the soil is warming: this is zone 3's busiest planting month.
Perennials, shrubs and trees16
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in May is still open (526 plants).
The tender planting window that opened in June is still open (471 plants).
Start a zone 3 July planting list in the Studio
Already planted? See what is in flower in July in zone 3.
August in zone 3
About a month remains before the typical first frost (mid-September): prime time for fall planting.
Bulbs to plant75
- Actaea
- Alba
- Alpine Squill
- Angelique
- Apeldoorn
- Apricot Beauty
- Apricot Pride Darwin Hybrid Tulip
- Asiatic Lily
- Ballerina
- Black Hero Double Peony Tulip
- Black Parrot
- Blue Giant
- Blue Globe Onion
- Blue Pearl
- Blue Spectacle
- Carlton Daffodil
- Checkered Lily
- Checkered Lily Alba
- Cheerfulness
- Couleur Cardinal
- Cream Beauty
- Crocus
- Daffodil
- Dutch Master
- Early Squill
- February Gold
- Flaming Parrot
- Flore Pleno
- Flower Record
- Giant Snowdrop
Showing 30 of 75; every plant hardy here is on the zone 3 hub.
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in May is still open (484 plants).
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in July is still open (16 plants).
Start a zone 3 August planting list in the Studio
Already planted? See what is in flower in August in zone 3.
September in zone 3
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in July is still open (1 plant).
The bulb window that opened in August is still open (75 plants).
Already planted? See what is in flower in September in zone 3.
October in zone 3
October sits just past zone 3's typical first frost (mid-September): the ground is closing, and next year's plan is the best thing to plant. Browse the guides or see what is in flower in October in zone 3.
November in zone 3
The garden sleeps in zone 3 through November; hardy planting returns in May, ahead of the late May to early June last frost. Browse the guides or see what is in flower in November in zone 3.
December in zone 3
The garden sleeps in zone 3 through December; hardy planting returns in May, ahead of the late May to early June last frost. Browse the guides.
Timing here is anchored to typical zone frost averages (NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, as summarized in university extension frost tables). Your local dates can differ by several weeks, so confirm the last and first frost dates for your own area.
Design your garden
Drop plants onto a 3D plan, see how they fill in, and watch the whole garden bloom across the year.