May Gardening Tips for the Northeast

Give your entry an easy facelift by filling pots with colorful flowers and herbs. Make designing them easy by choosing flowers that complement the color of your home's exterior.

Early in the month, plant flowers that won't wilt during chilly spring nights. Pansy, snapdragons, sweet alyssum, or fragrant flowering stock all thrive in cool weather and grow well in pots.

Be cautious hanging baskets of frost-tender annuals for Mother's Day. Fuchsia, bacopa, and viola will shrug off cool nights, but tender annuals like sweet potato vines, impatiens, and nasturtium won't withstand even a light frost.

Savor Herbs

Herbs can hold their own in early spring containers. Snip leaves to season dishes and create salad dressings.

Test Garden Tip: Mediterranean herbs such as sage, rosemary, lavender, and thyme, tend to grow especially well in unglazed terra-cotta pots, which help keep roots on the dry side.