In The March Garden

It’s crocus season!

Spring is finally here, my friends! It’s so exciting to wake up to the birds singing, the sun shining and my garden blooming.

I’m thrilled to add some hellebores to my shade garden (finally!) On top of that, the crocuses have appeared again.

Most crocus varieties naturalize easily. I love how they pop up in different spots year after year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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New hellebores in the garden

 

Hellebores have evaded me for years. I’ve always wanted them, but I could never find them. Then, once I found some, I realized they were a bit costly.

I finally decided this was the year. I promised myself I’d get at least two plants for the shade garden. My local nursery had a shipment come in and I was off to find this prized plant.

 

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Emerging growth

 

I’m so happy to see little sprouts in the new garden I created right outside my greenhouse.

You can read all about what spring bulbs I decided to plant my last fall here.

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In the veggie garden

The backyard was so flooded from the ice melting that my garden gate was actually frozen shut in early March. I had to be patient and wait for everything to thaw out before I could get in and take a look around. 

 

 

 

 

I planted 3 different varieties of garlic in my raised bed last fall. All of these varieties are new to me, and I’m looking forward to watching all of them grow!

Read all about the garlic that will be growing along with my planting process here.

 

My, what a difference two weeks makes! Now that the snow has finally melted, the perennial herbs are sprouting again. 

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What I’ve been working on this month

• Ordering seeds online. I made sure to make the majority of my orders in late February as well as the first week of March. I’m trying really hard to make sure everything arrives in time because of all the online ordering delays. 
• Starting to clean out beds. This is always tough for me. I want things to look neat and tidy, but I also want to make sure to not disturb any critters or insects that may have overwintered in debris. If I move anything, I gently make a pile and move it aside. I try not to get into deep cleaning until the danger of any hard frosts have passed.
• Sowing poppy seeds outdoors. On the second week of March, I went outside and sowed some poppy seeds. Now, I just have to sit back and wait. I’m excited to see if anything takes!
• Organizing and taking inventory of seeds. This can be time consuming, but it really sets the standard for the season ahead. It’s so much easier when I know what I have, how old my seeds are and what I still may need. If I don’t keep track of this, I tend to buy multiples of seeds. It’s such a waste when that money could have been spent on something else! (Okay, are seeds ever really a waste?) You know what I mean though!
• Cleaning out seed trays. Okay, this is the worst. I suck at doing this, but I’m making a serious attempt to be better with it this year. All you really need to disinfect is your trays, dish soap, bleach, a 5 gallon bucket and a hose. It’s a messy job, but it’s so worth it at the end of the day. 
• Pruning the roses. I always find this oddly relaxing – but do yourself a favor – wear gloves and a thick long sleeve jacket! It’s so easy to get a nasty gash if you aren’t careful. I snip off any dead leaves and brown or dead wood. I trim back any thin or weak growth. I also clean up any brush around the plants. This gets rid of any bad pests or disease that may be hiding over winter in the foliage.

Read my latest article about designing a rose garden with tips from an expert here.

There is so much to do around this time of year. I try not to get ahead of myself, but I’m itching to start tomatoes and peppers soon! That’s definitely next on my to-do list. I’m just waiting for my final seed order to arrive. 

What’s blooming in your garden right now? Up to any chores or seed starting? Let me know in the comment section below. As always, thank you for reading & happy gardening!

 

 

 

 

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