All you mothers have earned a special day. If you get the chance to be waited on hand and foot, take it. Those chances don't come around very often.

Growing season has arrived at long last. The average last killing frost is May 15. We need to remember that "average" means that there are frosts both before and after that date. Keep your eye on the forecast so you can cover those tender plants if you need to.

Be sure to "harden off" those tender annuals before you actually plant them outdoors. Remember these plants have spent their short lives in warm greenhouses where it never gets cold at night.

Hardening off isn't difficult. You'll just need to put those plants outdoors in an area protected from harsh winds and hot sun. Do this a few hours at first and gradually lengthen the time until they are outside all day. Do this over a period of a week or so. By then they should be ready for their new homes.

The most important thing to do when selecting plants to buy is to check the root system. A plant is only as good as it's roots. It doesn't matter if you're looking at plants in tiny 4- and 6-compartment containers or something in a 5- or 10-gallon one, the drill is the same.

Carefully tap the plant part way out of the container; far enough to get a good look at the roots. If they are twisted around and around, this means the plant is root bound. Put it back and look for a plant with fewer roots showing. Rootbound plants will suffer when transplanted. They will just sit there and refuse to grow.

If you want to go ahead with a rootbound plant, you may have success if you gently pull the roots apart and spread them out in the planting hole.

Try to do your transplanting on a cloudy day as your plants will need several days to adjust to their new home. If the days happen to all be sunny, try planting in the evening or shading the new plants by using something to block the hot sun. Water each plant right away and don't allow it to dry out. Feed occasionally and you're off and running.

I hope all of you got a chance to watch the PBS show on Monarch butterflies which aired recently. It was very interesting and informative. Even the experts cannot figure out how these little guys are able to fly 2000 miles when they head to Mexico in the fall.

Those near the west coast winter over in an area just south of San Francisco called Pacific Grove. I was lucky enough to visit there one fall. Words cannot describe seeing those huge trees covered in butterflies. As their caterpillars only eat milkweed, we all need to plant a patch to help them survive.

Every spring, people wonder what happened to their rose bush. It used to bloom in another color and now it's only producing small dark red flowers. What happened? Hybrid tea roses are grafted. That means the top, which produces the desired flowers, is grafted to a hardy root stock. If that graft isn't protected over winter, the top dies and growth comes up from the root stalk, usually Dr. Huey.

When this happens, there is no way to bring the pretty rose back. Yank it out and toss it. Then replace it with an ungrafted rose. These will never revert to another color.

The dandelions are in their glory right now. Some lawns have more yellow flowers than green grass. Try to kill the dandelion plants before they go to seed as each plant is capable of producing hundreds of seeds, maybe more.

Small dandelion plants can easily be dug out with a small trowel. Try to get the whole root. It is best to spray larger plants as their tap roots go down so far and usually get broken off in the process. This results in several new plants coming up.

To spray, choose a day when no rain is expected for at least 24 hours. Coat each plant with a good dose of spray. Weed B Gon works well. Be sure to keep pets and children off the lawn for a couple of days.

Or, if you'd really like to make use of those pretty yellow blooms, go on the Internet and you'll be able to find lots of recipes for dandelion wine!

Now here is something to ponder. Ham and eggs: A day's work for a chicken, but a lifetime commitment for a pig.

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 currently secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.