This phrase goes back to a poem from 1610 that includes the line “Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers.” In our climate here, spring flowers usually appear before the rains come and are affected more by warmth than by rain, but this poem most likely originated in Ireland where April is especially rainy, and the cooler climate delays the flowers until May. Whether the saying is true for us or not, by April, we are tired of the dull gray of the end of winter and want the colors of spring.

Last week I visited one of my sons and his wife. They recently moved from an apartment to a house and are eager to make the plain yard look more alive and welcoming with plants and flowers. Really eager. They showed me a spreadsheet they had created that included photos of each of the flowerpots they owned and each pot’s dimensions and volume so they could estimate how much soil they needed. Then another page matched each pot with photos of the kinds of flowers they wanted in each, along with those flowers’ sun and water needs.

I’m more of a “show up at Lowe’s Garden Center and pick out pretty flowers” kind of girl. I have brought no spreadsheet or helpful information along–I just buy the ones that look pretty to me at the time. And it usually works out well enough, but I’m sure my son’s will look much nicer–and will probably not require so many return trips to the store!

I would guess somewhere in between would be a good place to be. When you head to the store, take at least some basic knowledge with you. Think about sun and water requirements. Plants that like shade will not do well in full sun. Consider plant heights and layer plants by height. Pick a plant to be a focal piece and work out from there, taking into account textures and shapes. You can decide on a color scheme that complements your space–or if you prefer a more eclectic look, you can just pick one of everything!

If planting flowers is too difficult for you, I want to make a personal recommendation. I have a spot of ground that is hard to take care of, so last year, I bought a bag of seeds at Walmart. It was a wildflower mix by Burpee. It came in two different combinations–a hummingbird/butterfly mix and a perennial mix. All I needed to do was rake the soil and then sprinkle the seeds on the dirt. Add a little water, and they grew amazingly well. Hundreds of flowers grew and bloomed for quite a long time.

If you are able, take the time to plant some flowers this year. It will bring smiles to both you and everyone going by.

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