Spring is always a fun for gardeners. Anticipation wells. You're busy raking, cleaning and planting cool weather

vegetable, but how do you know when to put out your petunias and tomatoes. For me, it's easy... I watch my bees! So not everyone can have a hive of bees in their back yard, but there are signs that I learned from my bees that I'd like to share.

The photo on the right is my husband holding two packages of bees. There are about two thousand bees and one queen in each package. After you dump them into the hive, it's important to feed them sugar water and artificial pollen so they can build up the size of the hive. Beekeepers continue to feed their bees each week until the dandelion bloom.

There's the clue!

Nature has a way of telling when it's time to pull out the summer plants. When you drive down the highway and vision a sea of yellow. Plant your tomatoes!

As a Hennepin County Master Gardener, I must tell you that a great place to get some of those plants is at the upcoming HCMG Plant Sale this weekend. Sat May 21 from 9-2 at the Hopkins Pavilion. All the proceeds from the sale go to help the works of the Hennepin County Master Gardener Program. They have over 4,000 different plant types all labeled and experts on hand to tell you how to plant and grow.

If you're busy this weekend or of you would rather swap plants than shell out cash, come to the GreenGirls Plant Swap on June 4 form 10 - noon across the street from our building at 425 Portland downtown Minneapolis (1 block from the dome). We'll have plenty of plants and even some fun prizes.

Is June 4 too late? Heck no. Think how much better those hostas would grow if you gave them just a little more room. Think how you wish you had bought just one more tomato plant instead of 6 more impatiens. My friend Sharon hasn't even planted her lettuce seed I gave her even though they could have gone in a month ago! It's never to late to add beauty or bounty to your deck, patio or backyard.

Are you a "by the calendar" gardener where each year you think a meteorite will hit your back yard if the geraniums are not in by Memorial day? Tell us about it.

Or if you have any questions about beekeeping or local honey... I'll do my best to answer them.