So if you're anxious to get you're gardening game on and add some bright and cheery color to your lives, read on. We'd love to share what you'll find out under our greenhouse this weekend, and how best to use and care for these early spring bloomers.

As far as early spring color goes, pansies and their more diminutive cousins, violas, aka Johnny Jump Ups, can't be beat. These delicate looking plants are available in a dizzying array of colors, from true blue and crispy whites to fiery orange and reds and every color in between. But don't let their delicate appearance fool you, these are super hardy plants, especially when it comes to low temperatures, frost and even snow.

Pansies and violas are happiest at temperatures between 40 and 75 degrees, making them invaluable sources of color while we're waiting for temperatures to warm up. And although this is their happy zone as far as temps go, they'll handle 26 degrees without any type of special protection, making them a perfect choice for worry free color at this oftentimes still chilly time of year.

Their preference for cooler temperatures does come with a catch though. They're not fans of our warmer summer weather. So these guys are going to be effective now until mid to late May, at which time you'll want to swap them out with heat loving summer annuals.

Another important thing to keep in mind when using pansies and violas, whether in your containers or garden beds, is they don't need the "elbow room" that you'd typically give your summer annuals and flowers. Their time to shine is usually fairly brief, 6 to 8 weeks at most depending on when they're planted. So feel free to have fun and pack them in tight and enjoy their cheery blooms until the weather warms up.

If you missed our Hellebores pre-order earlier this winter, we have plenty in stock to choose from out in our nursery!!! If you're not familiar with these amazing plants, you'll definitely want to get to know them, there's so many things to love...

If you have shady places in your landscape you probably already know that your plant choices can be limited, especially when it comes to blooming plants. These tough plants want to be in those challenging shady spots. They will tolerate some morning summer sun if they have to, but shade in the afternoon is critical for them to be happy. And don't worry, they're perfectly happy with full sun in the winter and spring, making them a particularly good choice for planting under deciduous trees which will allow for full sun during cool weather and provide that welcome summer shade later on.

This isn't something that can be said about many perennials. They keep their thick leaves year round, even during the coldest winter months. These leaves can get a bit tattered during the winter though, so we recommend cutting them back when new leaves and blooms emerge in the spring.

All parts of Hellebores are toxic, so no one is going to be munching on them. If you have Hostas and a deer problem, Hellebores are a great alternative!!!

These plants can be outside, even in containers, without protection in temperatures as low as 16 degrees. 

They're early blooms and cold tolerance make them a perfect choice for using at this time of year. And our favorite part...when you're done using them in your pots and containers they can be moved to the garden or landscape where you can enjoy them for years to come. No need to send them to the landfill or compost pile.

These bright and bold cool weather perennials are at their best at this time of year. They won't be happy in subfreezing temperatures though. So if you'd like to use them outdoors be prepared to move them to a warmer place or provide protection when temperatures dip below 32 degrees. We love to use them indoors on a cool and bright window sill while the weather is still cold where there blooms can be enjoyed for 4 to 6 weeks.

And when the weather warms up they can be planted permanently in the garden as primrose are true perennial plants.