What to Plant in Early Spring

Here in New England, April can be pretty cold. It can even snow. Ugh. Currently we are doing pretty well but the temperature fluctuates from day to overnight. Frost can be common some nights. So what do you plant with this kind of unpredictable weather??

I was staring at my front porch planters that have been empty for a while and wanting to fill it with something, anything! So I headed to our local nursery. They are amazing and every single person there is so well informed and eager to help. So after spending an hour and a half ( I get distracted by succulents) I gathered up my goods!

Here’s what I got:

Herbs – Herbs are great for color, scent, and usability. I chose lemon thyme, mojito mint, and sage. The smell currently coming from my planters is amazing! It’s even coming in through the windows.
Pansies – Pansies hold up to cold weather well and once they become acclimated and take root, they can make it through a light frost. I got a few containers of mixed colors.
Dusty Miller – Dusty Miller come in a couple varieties. They are a pretty plant with silver looking leaves. Very hearty and cold tolerable. I did not end up getting these simply because I wouldn’t be able to fit anymore in my planters!

Today was a great day to grab these plants because we have a stretch of mild night ahead of us. Just having the plants out in the wind will help “toughen” them up to be able to take on cold weather if need be. One piece of advice I will always remember is that if we are expected to get a real freeze, cover plants with a cloth. A sheet will works as well. Hopefully we won’t have anymore of those nights but if we do I’ll be ready!

I hope this helps if you need to add some color or life back into your front entry, porch, deck, after what has seemed to be a very long winter?!