Focus on frost hardy annuals. Some of these annuals that can withstand 20 degrees or so, including pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, alyssum, dusty miller and osteospermum. Keep in mind that flowers may be a bit ragged after such cold but the plants should make it through ok. Annuals able to tolerate a light frost include varieties of petunia, nicotiana, calendula, Victoria sage, and verbena canadensis.
When weather forecasters issue a frost advisory in late spring and early fall, that’s your heads-up to protect annuals and other vulnerable plants. You might think temperatures have to get to the freezing point (32˚F), but actually, a frost can occur between 36˚F and 32˚F.
Pansies are a popular spring flower because they’re not only early bloomers but they come in a collage of colors that actually prefer the cooler months of the gardening season. Pansies are happy looking plants with their bright petals contrasting in a “face-like” appearance. Whatever the pattern looks like, the pansy is a type of viola that gardeners have grown for hundreds of years. Shakespeare mentioned them in Hamlet.
On the threshold of spring, we begin to notice a quiet awakening within. The intentions that we set during the long days of winter, both for ourselves and our children, may have lain dormant these past months, but now we see the first green heads pushing through and realize that the dawn of something new is upon us.
Fancy a new look in the garden beds or perhaps within your porch/patio containers? Have we got something for you! Check out these Candy Cane “oxalis versicolor”. Having stunning two-tone blossoms they make for a fun, unique and visually beyond belief addition to any garden setting from container gardening, as an accent/companion plant or as a border planting or rock garden.
TEN PERCENT OFF ALMOST EVERYTHING (when it's raining)- The phrase “April showers bring May flowers” is a popular saying used often during the month of April. This is typically the time when the last bit of snow turns to all rain as temperatures climb, and increased rain shower activity sparks the beginning of flowers and plants to really start blooming.
Unexpected frost and freezes can devastate landscapes and gardens. They can leave a gardener wondering how to protect plants from freezing, and question what is the best way to cover and keep plants from frost and freeze warnings.