IDAHO, USA — Winter and spring keep going back and forth lately, but warmer spring days will eventually be here to stay. In the meantime, you’re probably anxious to get some pretty flowers and bright spring colors on your front porch or in your yard.
Garden Master Jim Duthie spoke to a flower expert at North End Organic Nursery to get some ideas on what you can do to get some fast spring color, and these flowers will do just fine with any cold weather that sticks around.
Finally a little warm weather has occurred here in southwest Idaho, but there is still a lot of spring, cool weather to go through. People might be anxious to get a bunch of color in your yard. We already have some narcissus and daffodils and tulips starting to pop up, but other plants are perfect for this time of year while we’re still facing a little colder weather.
Alyson Burleigh is from North End Organic Nursery and has some great ideas for what to plant right now.
“My favorite right now are these cute little English daisies," Burleigh said. "Are those not the cutest things you’ve ever seen? They are really nice. They look like little Bachelor’s Buttons. Then we’ve got our famous pansies and violas, and these are good because they withstand the cold. I’ve seen them when it’s 105, and I’ve seen them with snow on them. They’re just the most amazing flowers."
Burleigh said that primroses are also great to plant now but will peter out once the weather gets hot. She also recommended a small variety of strawberries that aren't good to eat but make excellent ground cover.
Another good idea is to use containers. Burleigh said that something to keep in mind when planting in containers is to pick a well-draining soil. Also, don't overwater, she said this time of year people can check the containers every couple weeks.
"Because right now you may not want to get out and work in the ground so much, but you want to put a pot of pretty flowers out on your front porch," Burleigh said. "You bet, right next to the front door, little pops of colors, you can plant any of these right now.”
Some other colorful plant options are forsythias, daffodils, pansies and daisies.
Some of the best choices for bright colors that will do well in the cold weather include pansies, violas, English daisies, primroses, wild strawberries, and baskets-of-gold. People can find a wide selection of early spring flowers at garden stores now.
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