Before you transfer garden plants outdoors, make sure they're hardened off

It’s prime planting time in many regions, and gardeners are flocking to garden centers for annuals, and herb and vegetable starter plants. Likewise, those who have grown plants from seeds indoors may be gearing up to transplant them in the garden now.

But regardless of their origins, seedlings can’t typically go straight from an indoor nursery or home growing station to outdoor beds and borders without risk. They need to be “hardened off” first.