Cruising through some garden centers at this time of year is interesting, to say the least. Yes, it's OK to put some stuff in the ground this early. I have a tiny cherry tree - and at about four inches, it truly is tiny - that's ready to go. And pansies are good. So are lettuce, peas, broccoli, cabbage ...
But what are these places doing filling up with geraniums? Notice, they aren't putting them on display outside. They're inside, covered up, where it's nice and warm.
When I asked a staff person at one of the garden centers about this, he said, "Just because we put them out doesn't mean you have to buy them." Ha ha.
But people are buying them. I asked one gardener who succumbed what she planned to do with her cartload of geraniums, given that it's too early to plant them safely. "I don't know," she said, "but I couldn't resist."
Stores are counting on it.
