I guess I could not have timed this video and post any better, as we are sitting today in a Chicago snow blizzard a week before Easter in the middle of April. As I write this, I am looking at my poor magnolia buds, wondering if the are D.O.A.


This is pretty heartbreaking, as I am not sure how "cold-tolerant" Magnolia blooms are. But there ARE plenty of cold-tolerant blooms that you can plant now if you have the crazy weather swings like we do in the Midwest. This week on Fridays with Flora, I talk about cold-tolerant annuals, and show you how you can turn a unique, inexpensive container like a laundry basket, into a cool planter for spring!

Below is a list of some cold-tolerant annuals and other plant ideas for filler and structure. Take a screen grab or download to your phone before you go shopping for plants. Tender plants should not be planted until Mother's Day weekend in the Midwest.



For the cool laundry basket planter, here is what you will need:

upcycled laundry basket or dollar-store laundry basket
potting soil
spanish moss, about 3 bags
cold tolerant plants
bamboo stakes or long twigs foraged from your yard
gardening or decorative twine
gloves, scissors, spade

Here is a how-to for you! Please subscribe to my channel to keep up on the fun! We update it now every other Friday.