At Hyannis Country Garden we recognize that some aspects of gardening on Cape Cod are different from other locations. Our predominantly sandy soils, off-ocean winds, and salt spray can influence local landscapes and how we tend them. Country Garden's customers frequently request our "insider information" about the plants and products that work especially well in this area. With these appeals in mind, we've created our Best for Cape Cod designation.

Look for our hydrangea-blue graphic on plants and products and ask for the handouts listing plants and products that will succeed in your landscape and garden.

Coming soon: Best of Cape Cod lists for ponds or water gardens and wild birds.

What a wacky spring it has been! The unusually warm weather has prompted people to think that they could be planting geraniums, impatiens or even tomatoes. There are a couple of reasons that this isn't a good idea.

Summer annuals and vegetables don't do well when the temperatures drop below fifty at night. Heat-loving plants will suffer or die even without frost. Those who try and get an early start may have to replace some or all of these plants because of cold damage.

Because the ground is still cold, many annuals and veggies won't grow much, even if they don't die. Because warm soil stimulates root growth, these plants will sulk until the weather warms, especially at night. Whether planted early or later, most summer annuals won't put on any significant growth until later in May.

Finally, it is possible that we could still get a frost before mid-May. If you decide to plant cold sensitive plants early, watch the forecast and be prepared to cover plants if freezing temperatures are predicted.

Those who want to get a jump on summer can buy their plants now and grow them on in larger pots. This allows the plant to develop a larger root system before they are put in the ground. Putting those pots in a garage at night and outdoors will protect them from the cold.

Gardeners who don't want to fuss with bringing their plants in and out can satisfy the urge to plant with cold-tolerant annuals and veggies. It's fine to plant pansies, snap dragons, broccoli, peas, lettuce, parsley and cabbage outside right now.

Many of our customers are saying, "I have moss in my trees...is it hurting them?" Because the trees aren't fully leafed out right now, people notice the pale green growths on the bark and branches of their woody plants. This is actually lichen, not moss, and it does no harm to the trees.

Lichens produce their own food and are epiphytes, not parasites. This means that they attach onto the surface of trees (and decks, rocks or roofs) but don't take nutrients from the plants they grow on.

Lichens are a good indicator of a tree that is either older, or not very healthy, because they grow best on trees with a thin canopy. Because lichens photosynthesize, when there is more light from a thinning, weak tree they grow better. So if you want to discourage lichen growth, take steps to maintain the health of your trees by applying a light application of an organic fertilizer, top-dress under the canopy with compost, composted manure or chopped up leaves, treat for winter moth larvae and water deeply once a week during times of drought.

Although the best response is to pay attention to the health of your plants and ignore the lichen, it can be suppressed by spraying the tree with a copper fungicide. Such applications will need to be repeated, however, and are not recommended near bodies of water because copper is toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Be aware that copper fungicides can also stain houses and other structures blue.

Lichen grows best in areas where the air isn't polluted, so probably the best approach is to view the coating on your trees as a signal that your air is clean. So perhaps the best approach is to take a deep breath and decide to like your lichen!