Mid-Atlantic Gardener's March Checklist
Hunt for new growth in the garden but play the protector for baby plants and birds flying home to nest
March in the Mid-Atlantic is all about the hunt! Every morning I step outside my front door and am amazed at what has changed at ground level. Look closely this month, peeking under those dried leaves and crusty mulch, and you will be surprised at the amount of green hiding there. Crocuses, daffodils, irises and tulips — they are all there, waiting to explode into spring.
Join me today as we peek under the detritus of last year's harvest to find the treasures that await us, and get started planting for the year to come.
Join me today as we peek under the detritus of last year's harvest to find the treasures that await us, and get started planting for the year to come.
Bleeding heart is one of those plants that always shocks me in spring. The space has been bare for months, then a shocking fuchsia head of rock star hair peeks up to say, "Hello world!" Give it a month, and that pink will fade to green as the plant grows.
Design tip: Bleeding heart vanishes into the ground immediately after blooming. Plant it near big, bushy plants — such as peonies — that will fill out the blank space later in spring and summer.
Design tip: Bleeding heart vanishes into the ground immediately after blooming. Plant it near big, bushy plants — such as peonies — that will fill out the blank space later in spring and summer.
You might mistake a peony bud for bleeding heart when you first see it. Those buds are reddish-pink at first. Look closely, though, and you'll notice that those peony buds come to a point instead of having that frilly rock star hair.
Design tip: Plant peonies where you will be able to enjoy the flowers and the scent. Old-fashioned varieties rival any rose.
Design tip: Plant peonies where you will be able to enjoy the flowers and the scent. Old-fashioned varieties rival any rose.
While hunting for tiny plants, make sure you don't step on flower beds. The ground is soggy and wet, and those baby plants are easily damaged. Hunt from the edges of the beds and hold off on heavy-duty gardening until later in spring.
While hunting for new growth, don't forget to look for seeds. Many plants still have seedpods hanging on for dear life, and you can often harvest seeds to plant immediately.
The seeds you started last month have leaves now and can be transferred to larger pots or planting beds. But don't plant them in the garden yet unless they are cold hardy, like Swiss chard. This favorite garden vegetable can take a little chill, so go ahead and plant your chard starts, along with spinach, onions and mustard greens.
How to start a garden from seeds
How to start a garden from seeds
The leek is another great garden vegetable that can handle a bit of cold. Plant leeks and onions (and even potatoes if it is really warm) in waves so you can harvest them throughout the summer.
Design tip: When designing your vegetable garden, consider underplanting tough root crops such as onions and leeks with shallow-rooted lettuces and greens. The greens will keep the weeds down, and you won't disturb tough root crops when harvesting tender lettuces.
Get a Jump on a Cool-Season Vegetable Garden
Design tip: When designing your vegetable garden, consider underplanting tough root crops such as onions and leeks with shallow-rooted lettuces and greens. The greens will keep the weeds down, and you won't disturb tough root crops when harvesting tender lettuces.
Get a Jump on a Cool-Season Vegetable Garden
All of these plants benefit from a little protection, so a homemade cold frame might be the ticket to beginning your planting season in the early weeks of March. If a frost is imminent, cover the frame with a blanket or two, and your cold-hardy plants should do just fine.
Design tip: Use vinyl windows when possible for frames in a vegetable garden. Older wooden windows might have chipping lead paint.
Design tip: Use vinyl windows when possible for frames in a vegetable garden. Older wooden windows might have chipping lead paint.
Chickens can safely roam the garden freely, but by the end of March, much of your garden will be sprouting and fragile, so chickens should stay cooped up until your plants can get some height and roots.
How to raise chickens without ruffling feathers
How to raise chickens without ruffling feathers
Also, keep away from bird's nests and birdhouses at this time of year. Birds are coming home from the South and have already been scouting locations for their eggs. Don't move things around on them.
Your reward: the sound of baby robins chirping in the months to come.
Whether you are hunting for new growth, scouting for seeds or getting started on the planting season a bit early, March is a month for hope. Winter is fading away, and the promise of spring is evident everywhere you look — as long as you get low to the ground and look hard enough. Happy hunting!
Design tip: Crocuses look fabulous planted under deciduous trees and bushes, bringing a shot of color to these blank spots in the garden each spring. By the time your shrubs leaf out, the crocuses will have received enough energy to prepare for next year.