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MARCH
“When I went out, the sun was hot
It shone upon my flower pot.
And there I saw a spike of green
That no one else had ever seen.
On other days, the things I see
Are mostly old except for me.
But this green spike, so new and small
Had never yet been seen at all.”
Barbara Baker
Although the days are getting longer and the light is changing, this is NOT the time to dig in your garden especially if you live in Canadian in zones 6 or lower…. (USDA zones 7 or below)
I am itching to get into the garden and my rubber boots are at the door.
But walking on your garden - or digging in it now, will compact the soil that you have been nurturing for a few seasons.
If you must get into your garden to prune what needs to be pruned, then lay down boards to walk on. This spreads your weight over a larger area and prevents a lot of the compaction.
For shrubs that bloom in spring - wait till blooms are gone before you prune or you will cut off the flower buds.
PLEASE DO NOT prune your roses… wait till the Forsythia blooms…
DO prune your Annabelle Hydrangeas now….
there are many on-line videos to show you how if you have never done it. But you can prune or cut back to the 2 lowest buds on each branch. If your Annabelles are against a wall, cut them shorter in front and gradually taller in the back so blooms are all over instead of all the same height.
Otherwise, be patient and watch for Snowdrops and Crocus.
DON’T yet prune Caryopteris, Butterfly or Lavender yet… wait till after the last frost and when you see a bit of budding and then take out dead or broken branches. These are often late in budding out so wait a bit.
LEAVE the soil hilled up around your roses until you are quite sure there will be no more frost. Sometimes an early rain will be followed by a frost and the ice around the roots of the rose can do damage or delay its growth.
Watch for your first Robin and jot it in your journal.
...and then, finally sleeping with the window open -
This is a month of firsts.
I love the smell of the earth, the sound of birds singing their little hearts out and then the feeling that everything is new… the sun on my face (free Vitamin D) and knowing that after a long and challenging winter, we can begin to start over- in the garden at least and the darkness of winter has ended and hope for life is renewed - especially in the garden.
