I have abbreviated the hardening off process to a livable reality. Instead of taking a week of moving plants into and out of the greenhouse, I just move them once. Yes, once. They leave the greenhouse in the morning, are gently set out along the raspberries, watered and draped with floating row cover. There is never ever any type of support for floating row cover. It really and truly just lays on top of the plants. Be brave.

These flats of plants that I have nurtured for weeks are just left out there, albeit covered. There they brave latitude 59 and 1/2 degrees north, in partial shade for about five days. And then I plant them. Just like that. But I keep the floating row cover on them until they are so large they are threatening to pull the material off.

It would be ideal if you could pick an overcast day to plant. There is nothing more brutal than full sun on tender plants. But -- whatever it takes. If you are driving you kids around hither and yon, working a full- or part-time job, doing the laundry, cooking, cleaning -- the list is, truly, endless, then just get the plants in the ground and wish them well.

I do like to give mine an extra boost with a weak solution of fish emulsion as I set the plant into the hole. The seedlings are being planted in soil that has been augmented with compost and aged manure, but that extra bit seems to ward off a phenomena known as transplant shock. And here in the Far North, that shock is mighty.

Again, or still, the plants are covered with floating row cover held down with metal devices called earth staples. They work just wonderfully, but a rock will do. Or a piece of board. Or whatever is handy, this is Alaska after all, you can find something to hold down this bit of material that weighs almost nothing. No hoops, no support of any kind, just lay the material over the seedlings, they will be just fine.

I know you.

You are buying trees and shrubs without giving the tag a look.

That tag has more information than just the price. Study it. It will give you the mature size of your plant. There is nothing sadder than a tree or shrub that is crammed against the side of a building, or spilling into your driveway, or obstructing the front door. Give your investment a fighting chance. You do not want to transplant that shrub when it becomes too large for the original (read: wrong) location. This is nothing but work. No time for that.

I know you.

You want these plants to fill out fast and make your garden look like you have lived there 30 years.

Be patient. By planting to the mature size you are saving yourself time and your plant stress. There is no luck involved here, just common sense.

I know you.

You are looking around and plotting all the flower beds that live in your heart.

Get over it. It's too much. Our season is short. You need time to walk the beach, pick berries, go to a softball game. You won't be able to keep up with the weeding, deadheading, watering (if it doesn't rain), dividing when they eventually reach an unmanageable size, pruning -- to say nothing of the monetary cost of your dream. Plants are money.

So what are you going to do?

You are going to shop smart. You will go forth armed with information of what will and will not grow here. Shoot for zone two or three when shopping for perennials. Look for vegetables that mature in up to 75 days. Watermelon? Winter squash? Those are asking for 100 hot days. Not here.

What about peas? Try the ones that climb to three feet instead of six to eight. The sooner a plant reaches mature size the sooner it will produce food for you to harvest.

The Alaska Gardener's Handbook by Lenore Hedla and Landscape Plants for Alaska (Publication No.HGA-00035) by Alaska Cooperative Extension are both ideal publications for here. Take advantage of them.

Your perennials should be looking good or at least alive. My phlox subulata is looking very, very sad. There are patches of them here and there throughout the perennial beds. Some are looking better than others. The plan is to wait and see. If the ragged ones do not respond soon, they will be cut back and pondered until they either get going again or fail completely, but I will give them time. If you have perennials that you are questioning, please be patient. It is still early and still cold at night, and not all plants are raring to go.

Homer should be covered in rugosa roses and lilacs. Covered.

Rosemary Fitzpatrick has been gardening with gusto in Homer for 30 years. This year marks the 19th anniversary of her column.