Most Colorado gardeners know to wait until May to start planting. But here’s something they may not know: It’s best to divide the month into three distinct planting times.

That’s the advice of Nick’s Garden Center & Farm Market, which suggests gardeners plan to plant different items in early May, mid May and the end of the month.

Here’s the breakdown, from Nick’s:

Early May: Plant transplants of cool-season vegetables, such as lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Also, before the weather gets hot, plant trees, shrubs and container roses, as well as perennial fruit species, such as blackberries, currants, gooseberries, grapes.

Mid May: Now is the time to add “tender bulbs.” These are bulbs you plant in the summer, then dig up and store indoors over winter. They include: gladiolus, dahlia, canna, lily, freesia and allium. Also, plant petunias and herbs, such as basil, parsley, dill, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage. And don’t forget the lawn: Seed new lawns and overseed thinning lawns at this time.

Mid-to-late May: Using a soil thermometer, check to see that your vegetable garden soil is at least 50 degrees. If so, plant hardened tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, corn beans, pumpkins and cucumbers. You call also plant flowers from seed or specimens bought at garden centers, including drought-tolerant perennials such as salvias and penstemons.