I'm at one of my gardening thresholds when thinking about spring. When is it safe for annuals? My rule of thumb is that I wait until April 25 and then look at the ten-day weather forecast.

If the weatherman is smiling, I am ready to go to the garden with all but the tenderest annuals. If he is unhappy, I wait a week and look again. The main plants on my tender list are vinca, impatiens, begonia and any of the tropicals that we can grow as annuals.

My plan isn't foolproof and I may have to hunt for the old sheets a night or two, but it has proved to be quite reliable when selecting a planting date for annuals.

Many gardeners will buy annuals faster than they can plant them, and I am sure many perish during the wait. The best holding strategy is to keep them outside and out of the direct sun. Water on a regular basis but don't drown them.

Find out the low temperature danger point for each plant and then bring them in nights when such temperatures threaten. Of course, put them out again when the danger is past.

As usual, at this time of year when you think of annuals the first question is what is new and exciting.

One of the wildest annuals at the trial gardens last year was an annual euphorbia called Diamond Frost. It got about a foot tall and was covered with white flowers. This one will be hard to find this spring but should be generally marketed in 2006.

There are two new black-eyed-susan vines this year. They are apricot and raspberry. They join the yellow and orange thumbergia that have been around for several years. This is a vigorous annual vine that will fill a nice amount of space or climb five to ten feet.

For the shade gardeners, there is a new begonia called the solenium series. They may replace the nonstops. Although flowers are a wee bit smaller, plant strength and wonderful colors should make this one a hit.

Ball Horticultural has introduced five new impatiens in a series called Fusion. This is a vegetatively produced plant that will get quite tall and blooms well if buried in lots of shade. If you successfully tried the impatien, Jungle Gold, (developed by our daughter) last year you know the needed requirements.

Our daughter had a big hand in the development of two of the five new ones. Her plants are called "Heat" and "Infra-red." Availability here, too, will be somewhat limited until next season.

There is also a new series of annual gaillardias. They appear less sprawling than the common perennial gaillardia or blanket flower. I also am impressed with the flower but I'm not sure that there is a need for an annual gaillardia in the marketplace,

Of course there are improvements with many of the plants we are familiar with. Spring is near and someday soon the temperatures will convince us that it is here.