Springtime seems to finally be arriving with the first of our warm sunny days. It's a great time to get out in the garden and plant some spring color!

Start with pansies or violas. These hardy little plants will take some frost and bloom well into the summer until temperatures begin to get truly hot. Pansies and violas do well in beds, in pots or even hanging baskets. Available in a multitude of colors, these cheerful little plants practically shout "spring" with their happy faces.

Be careful where you plant them however, if you are using them in beds. Even though pansies and violas are not considered true perennials, because they don't come back from the same root stock, they do freely re-seed. Be sure to put them in an area where you won't mind a few more relatives if they come back next year!

If you are a perennial lover, the fragrant perennial violas are blooming and beautiful right now. Iberis (Candytuft) is especially pretty right now as well. Ours at Four Seasons are blooming with stark white blossoms. "Purity" is an especially nice variety for our area.

No matter what you plant out, a few new colors in your yard or in a patio pot, will help remind you that winter is truly, thankfully, a thing of the past!