Good Morning America's gardening contributor Rebecca Kolls shared some of the best ideas to help gardeners show off their green thumbs, even when the weather calls for mittens.

"People are spending a lot more time and money in their gardens these days, with the Baby Boomers aging and having more time on their hands, they are looking for more pursuits," Kolls said.

Next spring, gardeners will be embracing flowers in bold and citrus colors, including red, yellow, orange and blue, she said.

"People want the brightest shades of flowers in their gardens, really electric reds and super bright oranges are definitely in for next year," Kolls said. Blue is actually the hardest color to find, and the most expensive.

In addition, those trying to decide which flowers to buy will tend to want more for their money this spring. They want rose bushes that bloom more than once, trees that have flowers in the spring, fruit at the end of the summer, and beautiful colors in the autumn.

Size also matters, and gardeners are looking for bigger trees for indoors and outdoors. Some green thumbs are even planting banana trees up north.

Another noteworthy example of people wanting good value is Knock Out roses, which will be popular for their maintenance-free qualities. It is a drought-tolerant rose that survives, and even thrives, in the most devastating of dry summers.

"These days, when people are selecting flowers for their gardens, they want more bang for their buck," Kolls said.

Water gardens are also gaining momentum, from simple desktop gardens that feature the sound of running water, to more elaborate outdoor ones.

But with the West Nile Virus on everyone's mind, gardeners also will need to prevent their water gardens from becoming breeding pools for mosquitoes. Special chemicals, which come in tablet form release a bacteria that will prevent mosquito larvae from hatching.

The trendiest gardens will also have new, ornamental, animal mascots. Each year it seems like some animal is very popular around the garden as an ornament. One year it was cows, another it was roosters, and last year, pigs were all the rage in the garden.

"Frogs are definitely on this year," Kolls said. Garden enthusiasts are opting for high-end ornaments, rather than plastic, and spending more money on the products.

Overall, the trend is toward more natural looking gardens.

"People are spending more money on natural looks like bricks and stones in their gardens," Kolls said. Instead of faux rocks and bricks, gardeners are using the real thing.

For more information on the tools, products and gadgets shown by Kolls during the show, try these Web sites and contact information.

   Knock Out roses, starroses.com
   Stone frogs and other garden items, carruthstudio.com
   Rain gauge, 845-255-0197
   Globe holder, solar fairies, frog statue and three-ring globe stand — echovalley.com
   Stand with glass globe, hummingbird feeder, wind chimes, bird bath & sprinkler — birdbrain.com