The sun is shining, temps have exploded into the forties, spring training baseball has begun, and gardeners are waiting patiently to get back into the dirt. Master Gardener Carrie Sherrill says that there is renewed interest in planting in recent years. It is back in vogue to supply food for your own table.

Sherrill says that the excitement over vegetable gardens comes with risk early in the year. The Master Gardeners will have a plant sale in early May, and Sherrill says each tomato stalk sold has a warning tag attached to it. Stubborn frosts and freezes are a threat to outdoor plants until Memorial Day, and that is difficult to convey to new residents to the area from Chicago and parts further south.