That title tells it all, doesn't it? Is it safe to put the rest of the plants in the ground? You know the ones I mean: peppers, tomatoes, impatiens, coleus, etc. The really tender ones that show damage long before the thermometer actually hits 32 degrees. I forgot to bring one of my coleus plants inside one night and even though it was up against the south side of the house, the outer leaves were all distorted.

I hope you have your plants all hardened off. For you newbies, that just means exposure to the outdoors for several hours each day and finally a night or two. Doing this is a big help in adjusting those plants to their new environment. Remember, they have only known warm greenhouses with no wind, hot sun, etc.

Those dahlias and tuberous begonias you started in the house should be nice and big by now. If you are growing dahlias that get very tall, be sure to put a stake into the potting hole before you drop in the plant. Waiting to stake them later may result in spearing the tubers. Mix in some broad spectrum fertilizer too. This means all three numbers are represented fairly evenly. Switch to one with a high middle number as blooming approaches.

We will soon be seeing wasps flying around. These are the queens who are looking for a home where they can lay eggs and raise a lot of baby stingers. Get those wasp traps set up so you can stop as many as possible before that happens. Don't be concerned with the occasional bumble bee. These rarely sting and are great at pollinating. Besides, they really are kind of cute.

I've been asked to explain the difference between seed geraniums and zonal geraniums. Actually, there isn't much. Basically, they are the same except the seed ones have been started with seeds and the zonal ones have been started with cuttings from mature plants. Those started from cuttings will bloom much sooner than the seeded ones.

Remember to be selective when you're in the nursery looking at all those cute little plants. There are some that you DO NOT want to bring home. These will cause you grief for years to come as you try everything to kill them. Some are so aggressive that they will continue to spread no matter what roadblocks they encounter. Some of these "thugs" include sweet woodruff, violets, snow on the mountain, all types of mint, Japanese ribbon grass and Chinese lanterns. I don't know which one is worse, but they are all tremendously "good" at spreading ... and spreading.

Don't confuse these with some of the self-seeders such as violas, forget me nots, corydalis, fernleaf bleeding heart, love in a mist and others. These can easily be pulled out or moved to another location. They don't have the persistent roots that continue to resprout like the "thugs" do.

If you have a raspberry patch, this is the time to spend some time there. Remember, these plants are biennials meaning they grow the first year with just leaves, produce fruit the second year and then die. Cut the dead canes completely to the ground, the others can be cut to a height of 3 to 4 feet. Tie these to sturdy stakes. Scratch in some fertilizer as growth takes off. Just plain lawn fertilizer works fine. Water well as the berries develop. Then get ready to enjoy your crop!

Memorial Day reminds me of my grandmother. She would take jars of lilacs, peonies and iris flowers to the country cemetery every year for decorations. Plants of these also grew there. These had been planted 20 or more years earlier. They thrived with no care other than the occasional rain. Just amazing.

Remember how the Easter bunny told us a month ago to grab that list of chores and hop to it? Well, I still haven't got all those chores crossed off my list. So, if you see that famous bunny, mum's the word. OK?

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. Since then, she has always kept a garden of some sort, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and house plants. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.