I don't know about you, but when I can finally turn the calendar to May, I am indeed doing the happy dance. Even though this was an extremely mild winter, it seemed to go on way too long.

Before I forget, I want to wish all the mothers a very happy Mother's Day. We all have one (or had one), so be sure to remember her today. My mother was a great gardener and I'm sure I inherited that love from her. She grew the flowers and my dad grew the vegetables. We looked forward to the first ears of corn from the time the seeds went into the ground.

It's been so tempting to cheat and plant anything and everything early this year. Sometime you get away with it and sometime you don't. We are still getting some nights that go down to freezing, so watch those weather forecasts.

Before actually planting those annuals, it's a good idea to "harden them off" first. This is fairly simple. It just involves gradually exposing your plants to the cooler outside conditions.

Take the plants outside in the mornings. I usually wait until the thermometer says it is nearly 50 degrees. Put them into a sheltered location for a few hours and then take them back indoors. Each day, leave them out a while longer until they're outdoors all day. Once you reach that point, (weather permitting) you'll be able to leave them out at night too.

After a week to ten days of this, they'll be ready for the Big Outdoors. Go ahead and plant them, either in the ground or in large pots.

If you want to plant in containers, there are a few easy steps to be successful. The first one is to decide where the planter will "live" all summer. Choose plants for sun or shade accordingly. If you aren't familiar with what grows best where, just visit one of the local greenhouses and ask someone there to help you. You may use the easy rule of planting a "thriller, a filler and a spiller." This just means something tall, something bushy and something that drapes over the edge.

When you're ready to plant, cover the drainage hole with a bit of screen or something to allow water to drain while keeping the potting soil in. Fill the pot with a good potting soil ... never use garden dirt as it is too heavy and won't drain well.

Then sprinkle with some fertilizer beads. Dig these down a few inches then go ahead and put in your plants. Water well and you're done. Keep these in a shady place for a few days while the plants adjust and then put them in their summer spot.

Did you know that Post Falls has an arboretum? If you aren't familiar, this word just means trees. Beginning in 1996, hundreds of trees havebeen planted along both sides of the freeway from Idaho street to Spokane street. Right now a lot of them are in bloom and pretty spectacular.

I am just amazed at the number of dandelions blooming almost everywhere right now. The name is from the French word dent-de-lion which means lion's tooth and refers to the shape of the leaves. PLEASE be diligent about killing these plants as each one is capable of producing literally hundreds, if not thousands of seeds. Your neighbors will thank you!

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is currently serving as secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls. Her column appears in The Press every other Sunday from early March until late October.