Mar. 16--Displays of colorful flowers at nurseries may be tempting invitations to begin spring gardening, but while some hardy plants can be put in the ground now, gardeners need to be careful about rushing the season on more delicate blooms.

Mamie Meadows, a Magnolia Garden Club member and owner of Dave's Nursery in Brunswick, suggests watching the weather forecast and keeping in mind historical data.

"Some people get antsy to start planting, especially when we have these nice warm days, and when azaleas really start blooming," she said.

That's not the best idea.

Planting spring perennials and annuals before the last date a frost can be historically expected can be a waste of time, money and plants. In Brunswick, that date is March 31 -- just two weeks away.

"You really have to watch the weather. If you do go ahead and plant, and there's a freeze, you're going to have to cover the stuff up. It's better to wait a little bit until all chances of the freezes are over," she said.

"Even if there are no hard freezes -- and we're usually not going to have a hard freeze this time of year here -- there are plants that are so tender that they will wilt if it gets down in the 35 to 40 (degrees) range."

Meadows uses the herb basil and the tropical coleus as examples of popular plants that can't withstand cold air.

"Basil hates cold, chilly mornings. And coleus hates it. They'll get a wilt on chilly mornings. You need to wait for the herbs and annuals until the morning temperatures come up," she said.

But if you want to start thinking ahead, Meadows has plenty suggestions for spring gardens. First and foremost, you should start getting your lawn and garden ready for spring.

"You have to trim back the dead stuff and prep the ground. Weed the garden and loosen up the soil. You can start putting out the (weed retardants and fertilizers) on the lawn to get it ready for spring," she said.

If you're already looking at prospects to plant later in the season, Meadows suggests brightly colored perennials.

"The best annuals are coleus with the bright leaves and periwinkles. Heather and lantana are great perennials," she said.

Guynel Johnson also believes that preparation time for gardeners is important.

The president of the Magnolia Garden Club in Brunswick says that early spring is time to clean up and get ready.

"Deadhead your roses and clean out your flower beds and give attention to your lawn. I have already treated mine with a pre-ermergence herbicide ...," she said.

"March and April are very busy months for gardening here in the Deep South. We are in Zone 8. The USDA hardiness zones give the gardener an idea of what type of shrubs or perennials will survive and grow."

March and April are the time to put out perennial bedding plants, Johnson said.

"Let's don't forget hollyhocks. I already have them in the planters at my front gate and they are glorious," she said.

"You will also find (Brunswick) 'Old Town' gardeners planting beautiful pots of flowers on and off their front porches in the historic district. Many of the Magnolia Garden members are homeowners here and you can see their handiwork on display on every street."

This year, Johnson has a new gardening obsession -- zinnias.

They will bloom until August and make long-lasting, colorful arrangements, not only for the kitchen table, but also for family gatherings and to brighten a guest room bath.

- If your garden club would like to suggest seasonal advice for "What We're Growing," please contact Lindsey Adkison at ladkison@thebrunswicknews.com or 265-8320, ext. 322.

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