CINCINNATI — In the Greater Cincinnati region, the general rule of green thumb you'll hear is to wait until Mother's Day before planting your annual garden — and it's not far from the truth.
As soon as it warms up, people begin buying flowers and plants, eager to get outside and beautify their yards while the weather feels nice. But that's the thing — it won't always feel that nice for those plants, since the Tri-State often sees frost late in April or early May.
Some of the region's favorite blooms are susceptible to dying off if they're planted in cold soil too soon, so it's best to be a little patient.
But which plants are the most in danger if the region experiences a frost?
"Generally tomatoes," said Todd Baeten, owner of Baeten's Nursery Greenhouse in Union, Ky.
Plants you'd put in a produce garden, like tomatoes, won't survive a harsh frost. But what about flowers?
"Some of the others would be begonias, they don't like it," said Baeten. "Petunias don't mind a little bit of cold, but vincas — cold, damp soil will kill the vinca every time. They want it really hot and the temperature on the rise, not up and down all the time."
Varieties of vincas are popular because they're successful and low maintenance in the summer months and they include both annuals and perennial varieties.
The key is to watch the forecast around 10 days out from Mother's Day — which falls on May 12 this year. If that extended forecast appears to be frost-free and temperatures are slated to stay above freezing, it's safe to plant shop to your heart's content.
