Yes, I said "going to pot." And no, I'm not talking about the kind people smoke!

What I mean is that now is the time to plant up containers. You knew that ... right?

Every house needs at least one container to brighten up the front (or back) door. Planting it isn't difficult, but can be a bit messy so it's always a good idea to do this in an area that can be hosed off when you're done. My favorite spot is the back patio table.

You will need a pot, potting soil and of course, the plants. Try to stay away from little pots. They may be cute, but do you really want to have to water them twice a day when the weather turns hot? I like to use those that are at least a foot in diameter. Bigger is even better. Annuals don't root down very far, so with the bigger ones you'll want to fill the bottom half with something else. Crushed cans and plastic bottles work well. So do the little four pack starter pots. Styrofoam pellets work, but they're such a mess to use.

Once you have your pot(s) and potting soil, head over to the greenhouse. This is where the real fun begins. Ask for help, if you're a novice. Your first decision is whether to go with sun lovers or shady types. That all depends on where you plan to put the pot. Choose at least 3 different shaped plants using the old adage, "spiller, filler and thriller." This means a plant that will hang over the edge, one that will fill the middle area and a tall one which we call the "thriller."

Plant up your new pot, keep it in the shade a few days and then move it to the spot it will "live" all summer. The flowering types will need to be fertilized every couple of weeks. If you'd rather not be bothered, just sprinkle in some granular, slow release type fertilizer when you're doing the planting, such as Osmocote.

Hopefully, you've been holding off on planting the warm weather plants. The end of May is a good time to put in those tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash. These won't grow until the ground warms up, so there's no advantage to early planting. Plus you'll be trying to dodge the late frosts.

I'm hearing a lot of you lost perennials this winter. I did too. The culprit was the very cold spells we got while having little or no snow cover. Snow acts as insulation, so without it, plants were very vulnerable. Some years we luck out and some years we don't.

I try to do the Pollyanna thing ... when a plant dies, there's now a space to try growing something new.

There are some perennials that are very slow to show growth in the spring. These include butterfly bush, hardy hibiscus and balloon flowers. Have patience and these will usually leaf out ... eventually. If not, see the last paragraph.

We seem to be "blessed" with a bumper crop of yellow jackets this spring. Be sure to keep those traps out. The more we catch, the less chance we'll be stung. You may want to try a different type of repellant. These are fake wasp nests. Hang one or two near your backyard sitting area. Wasps are territorial and will supposedly go elsewhere when they see a nest ... or in this case a fake nest. I'm giving it a try.

Retirement: Twice as much husband, half as much money. Is this what they mean by a "mixed blessing?"

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.