The recent cold snap, devastating to local fruit growers, also damaged many trees and shrubs in foothill landscapes. Most ornamentals should recover and leaf out again, but some damage may have killed tender spring shoots which will have to be pruned if they do not regrow.

As you take advantage of garden tours where private gardens are open to the public, remember that this has been a difficult spring for all gardeners. Insufficient rain, drying winds, and hard freezes all take their toll.

Overly eager vegetable gardeners had already planted out their tomatoes and other tender summer crops. Those that were protected by a row cover such as Tufbell may have survived the hard freeze. This is a "tool" I use often in my vegetable garden, both in early spring and again in fall. However, my tomatoes were not yet planted out because I knew the soil was too cold for good root growth.

Another method for protecting early plantings, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and squash planted in mid-May, is to utilize a solar bell or similar cloche for each plant. Protection from cold and drying winds gives these crops a better start too. Heat is trapped during the day, keeping the plants warm into the night, a definite advantage where night temperatures are below forty-five degrees. Most cloches are made of recycled plastic and may be used year after year.

Cold nights have kept the soil in my vegetable garden cold, delaying planting of carrots, leeks and beets. These seeds will germinate better when the soil warms up a bit. This week I will do a second planting of lettuce and bok choy. Most greens will grow well even in the cold ground, and these succession plantings ensure a continual supply.

Some vegetables are unaffected by the cold. Garlic planted last October looks wonderful. Organic farmer John Drew in Chicago Park has picturesque beds of garlic, promising one of the best harvests ever for the Growers' Market.

In the ornamental landscape, I am noticing the delay of flowering for many perennials. Trees, shrubs, and vines are supplying more nectar for the bees. The most beautiful shrub in bloom right now is Spiraea vanhouttei. In the Poggi garden in Cedar Ridge, a spectacular mature specimen is full of bright white flower clusters, its branches draping gracefully.

On Banner Mountain, Hazel Whitford's garden had begun blooming just before the freezes, with Azalea and Cornus (dogwood) introducing this year's vibrant spring display. The late reminder of winter's chill stopped the show. Now the Rhododendron and Azalea flowers will once again provide weeks of amazing color.

Cold clay soil may delay some planting this season, and late frosts remind us that gardening in the foothills is challenging. But May flowers continue to brighten our spring landscapes, a reminder that natural cycles bring our gardens into a new season, despite our best efforts to hasten the ripening of the first tomato by planting before the last frost!

Carolyn Singer has gardened in the foothills since 1977. She is the author of two books of deer-resistant plants: "Deer in My Garden, Vol. 1: Perennials & Subshrubs" and " Vol. 2: Groundcovers & Edgers." Gardening questions may be sent to csinger@stardustweb.net.