Gardeners, it's time to put your gardening skills to the test. If temperatures are cooperating, the merry months of May and June will be your busiest until September, with planning, planting, and patio projects to lead the way into summer. Don't be fooled by a late frost; find out the mean freeze date in your area, and be sure soil is warm and workable—not too wet, not too dry—before putting tender plants in the ground.

By the time your garden is prime for planting, you should already have a plan of attack in place. Are you going to be planting bulbs, annual, more perennials, or a vegetable and herb garden. Maybe even all of the above if you are blessed with a big yard. Once you have a plan, its time to acquire your new plants. The quickest and easiest way is to buy your plants online. Everything you need from seeds, bulbs, and tools can be found through online merchants, and many sites even offer online coupons for increased savings. Small starters usually cannot be shipped directly to you, but can be sent to a store close to home for pick-up at your convenience.

If you are going to be putting in sensitive vegetables like cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and melons, you may wish to wait a few weeks after the last thaw to ensure they don’t get damaged by an extra cold night. If you want to plant early, consider sowing heartier vegetables like potatoes, peas, beans, carrots, and lettuce. Not sure about when to plant, then ask an expert at your local gardening center.

For all the beautiful colors of spring, consider planting both annual and perennial flowers. Although your perennials will still be around from last year, you may want to add a few of your favorites to replace flowers lower on your list. Annuals are an important part to every garden. They bring some of the richest, most vibrant colors to your garden. Plant your annuals from starters if you want an early spring bloom. Make sure that you plant annuals in areas of your yard that get at least five hours of direct sunlight per day. Don’t be cheap on the plant food and watering, and you will ensure your flowers get the right ingredients for full, healthy blossoms.

Once the initial preparing and planting are finished, you can sit back and relax, letting your sprinklers do the rest of the work. If you work hard early on, your hardest task in summer will be choosing which flowers to make cuttings of and create bouquets for the kitchen and dining room. Enjoy the fruits of your labor… until next spring.