Believe it or not, spring planting season is here. Finally. The date of the last average killing frost in this area is May 15. Time to get busy and start gardening. Of course, at this time of the year, we do it with one eye on the weather forecast and the other on what we can grab to cover plants when we need to.

The U.S.D.A (Department of Agriculture) has updated their Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Based on the average annual winter temperatures, the Post Falls area has been moved up one zone. We are now considered to be in Zone 6 B.

To check your area, go to the website and type in your zip code. The address is http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/.

I hope some of you made May baskets. I created several and had a great time delivering them. I like any excuse to go visiting.

All this cool rainy weather has been good for something. Newly planted grass seed has popped up and is growing fast. There always seem to be a few bare spots here and there after winter - especially if you have a dog.

Once you have purchased those bedding plants, or have grown them yourself, you need to acclimate them to the outdoors. Put them outdoors in a sunny and protected spot for a while each day, increasing it daily. Just remember to bring them back inside before dark. After a week of this, they can be planted out.

There are a few exceptions. The truly tender plants need to wait another week or two. A partial list includes impatiens, coleus, marigolds, tomatoes, peppers and most annual herbs. These are real sissies and will freeze and turn black if someone so much as walks by with an ice cream cone.

A lot of us who live in the midst of old growth Ponderosa pines have a love/hate relationship with those trees. On the one hand, they are so beautiful, create nice shade and have such a great sound when the breeze is blowing through them on a warm summer day. On the other hand, they drop needles all year around, especially after you've just cleaned off the patio. Then there are the pine cones, the sap and my personal favorite, the yellow pollen. Don't get me wrong, I'd never want to cut them down. Just needed to whine a little.

Another in the Ten Commandments of Gardening goes like this, "Thou shalt nurture thy bleeding heart and they weeping willow."

Something else I try to keep in mind is, at my age, "happy hour" is a nap.

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.