Winter Color for your Home & Garden

After the holidays, we all get anxious to see some color in our yards and homes. Yet the weather here in the "Great Northwet" is pretty dreary, and that can discourage even the most enthusiastic gardener. Yet here's an easy solution -- you can fight back with some cheery plants that thrive in cool, rainy conditions plus can be brought indoors for lively color. Primroses and pansies are a great way to enjoy spring color early… probably the most inexpensive, too. And you'll find them in good supply starting this month at your Fred Meyer Garden Center.

Primroses really brighten up the kitchen, family room or your dinner table… the colors are so vivid. Try lots of yellow -- it really stands out on those darker, cloudy days. And all it takes is a nice ceramic pot to complete the look. In fact, don't worry about re-potting -- just leave the plant in the growers' container and place it inside your decorative pot. That way, it's easy to replace as the flowers fade. Primroses are also great outdoors in your deck planters or window boxes as they thrive in Northwest winter conditions.

Pansies are under-rated stars of the winter garden. They love the cool rainy weather typical here in the Northwest. Plus they're almost impossible to freeze and come in great colors – from brights to pastels. And don't forget about white, a real complement to any other color. Use the smaller varieties for mass plantings in your flower beds and the larger bloomers for deck pots and planters.

Don't forget about hanging baskets either. Wouldn't a basket full of bright primroses or pansies be a welcome sight hanging right outside your window?

And look for some other great flowers right now to brighten things up indoors. At your Fred Meyer Garden Center, you'll find potted Tulips and other favorites ready to burst out with vibrant blooms. Plus there are cut flowers like carnations, mini carnations, pom poms and more, all priced so it's easy to get several bunches to create a wonderful display.

Visit your Fred Meyer Garden Center today, and bring home some of these first-signs-of-spring flowers. Their fun colors will really fight off those winter blues, inside and out.

While much of the information in these tips is applicable in several gardening zones/climates, some of the plants and timing suggested are best suited to the Northwest, generally in the mild/wet growing regions found along the I-5 corridor. You should make appropriate adjustments or consult local gardening experts in regions whose climates differ from this area of the Northwest.