Thawing hoses at 6:30 a.m. seems to be the norm this spring. When I get up early and see that frosty hue over the lawn, I know it is going to be a cold morning. Hopefully by this weekend the cold will be past us, but it is still only the middle of May and my grandfather never planted his garden until after Memorial Day Weekend.

So what do you do until the weather warms up for good? If you want to get started early, like most people that have been buying plants for the past three weeks already, you garden in containers.

From just planting a couple of containers to a full blown garden, starting things early can be very therapeutic and this year more than ever do we need that. There are more first time gardeners this year than any other time this decade. That is because it takes time for something to grow and we live in a society of “I want it now” individuals, but this year everyone has the time.

Growing things takes you back to a simpler time when everyone would plant a large garden to help feed the family through the season and over the winter. Nowadays everyone just goes to the supermarket to stock for a week. No need to buy huge amounts as next week you just go back to the store again and again and again.

But when that is the only way you get food you lose something, the knowledge of how to grow it yourself. And this pandemic has brought everyone to the realization that the supermarkets can run out too. The old adage holds true “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”. That same old saying holds true for gardening, and we need to teach all who will take the time to listen to the importance of being able to grow food for yourself.

Now I realize that someone who has never gardened before is not going to put in an acre of corn this spring, but a few tomatos or cucumbers in a pot on the porch would be a good start. Or maybe you just want to do some flowers to cheer up the deck or patio.

Whether hanging baskets, in window boxes or edging the border of your sidewalk, flowers will help brighten your mood every time you look at them. And each year there is always something new to look at from new flower colors to vibrant foliage plants that will compliment any container.

And then there is the container itself. Gone are the days of just having a standard clay pot. Ornate pottery of clay, resin, and poly are readily available as well as many wooden planters like half whiskey barrels. Then you have the unique planters that someone with a creative mind comes up with, like old tire planters.

Old tires just lay around waiting to be recycled, but they can be used for all sorts of decorative planters. Not ready to go carve up an old tire, how about a milk jug planter. Poly milk jugs make great planters and all you have to do is cut off the top, put a couple of drain holes in about an inch above the bottom, add soil and plant.

For inspirational ideas take a look on Pinterest, Youtube and Google Images and plant something this year that will raise your spirits and improve your well-being. We all need a little of that right now and hopefully mother nature will be on our side.