As spring brings opportunities for residents to use their green thumb, a Washington County master gardener shares some of her favorite things to plant in her garden and flowerbeds.

Sheila Gerot of Riverside has been a master gardener since 2007, and she grows a wide breadth of produce and other plants on her farm. Gerot shares a couple favorites she plants every year, “And those are verbena and lantana, they’re annual flowers so I don’t put those out until May. And I don’t start those from seed I usually pick them up at a garden center. I have a lot of sun in my garden, and they can handle the hot sun and they don’t care if it gets dry in July and August, they’ll continue to bloom so I really like those two.”

If your garden doesn’t get much sunlight, Gerot recommends plants that grow well in the shade, hostas, for example. Gerot encourages beginning gardeners to not be afraid to fail, as not every plant will turn out a success and you can learn from your mistakes. If you’re interested in becoming a master gardener through ISU Extension and Outreach, find more information here.