Harden Off?

I'm so confused! Actually, I just think it's going to take a while to change my thinking from Alaskan to Kansan. While shopping at the boy's favorite farming store last week, they had plants and flowers out for sale! Of course, I can't go by them and not buy. I picked out a few, but got home and didn't know what to do. Do I have to harden them off? Can I really put them in the ground now? I haven't even heard the term "harden off" mentioned here.

In Alaska, it's against the law (the Master Gardner Law) to plant anything in the ground until Memorial Day weekend. Even then, you have to slowly adjust them to the outdoors over the span of at least a few days. That's still 7+ weeks away. I've never touched the dirt in April. Oh well, the little guys and I went ahead and planted away. We watch our tulips every day- they're about to bloom. Coleman loves learning the names of what we've planted. Caden just loves the mess and the dirt.