WHEN TO SHOP

• If you shop this weekend, go early or late. Larry Pfarr, marketing director for Bachman's, suggests avoiding stores between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this weekend.

• Visit popular garden centers when it's cold or raining. Poor weather will cut the crowds.

• If you can, shop midweek. Stores are less jammed, shelves tend to be restocked for the weekend and some weekend specials might start as early as Thursday.

WHERE TO SHOP

• For one-stop shopping, large garden centers can't be beat. Most of them have a solid selection of plants, the pots to put them in and all the necessary supplies.

• For the rare and unusual, shop smaller nurseries that specialize in what you're looking for, be it native plants, roses, hostas or organic heirloom tomatoes.

• For bargains on common annuals and perennials, shop the temporary flower marts or the garden centers at big-box stores. Use caution, though. Big boxes have been known to have poorly labeled, minimally maintained plants.

• For deals on common to cool plants, shop plant sales sponsored by plant societies, garden clubs and fundraising groups. Before you go, get a plant list if one is available. Make sure you know what you're buying. And if you don't like crowds, opt for one of the smaller, neighborhood sales.

HOW TO SHOP

• Do some homework. Know your garden (sun or shade, clay or sand), the space available and your budget.

• Make a list. That will limit impulse buys.

• Don't insist on the biggest plant. Bigger is not necessarily better. Smaller plants transplant more easily and usually are cheaper. Look for healthy, not huge, plants.

• Don't try to do it all. There's no sense in trying to pack a season's worth of shopping in one trip. Keep your sanity by shopping -- and planting -- throughout spring and into summer.

CONNIE NELSON AND LYNN UNDERWOOD