The weather has finally taken us around a corner and I am sat here writing this with windows open and sun streaming through them which is actually rather delicious, I can’t simply think of a better word for it!
March has got to be one of, if not the, busiest months in the gardening calendar. What I do in this month can have a really positive effect for the rest of the year and although I’ll probably spend most weekends and evenings trying to catch my tail over sowing seeds, feeding mature plants and getting the veg beds ready, I know it will be more than worth it come spring, summer, and well into autumn.
Below you’ll find a selection of jobs I need to get done in the garden over March and a helpful list of jobs that can be done in and around your garden at this time of the year too.
I’ll add my photo’s at the beginning of each post so if you haven’t got time to read you can quickly glance at the garden’s update.
As always, let me know what you think. Is it useful or just a pain to read?
March Update
(Click on any photo to make it bigger)
-
- The mess left after the native hedge was planted.
-
- The new native hedge
-
- Rocket
-
- Garlic
-
- The lawn
-
- Cabbages
-
- Sweetpeas
-
- Lemon cucumbers
Indoor Cultivation
Inside the house my three sowings of rocket are now complete. All germinated really quickly but growth appears to have slowed down slightly. The yellow cucumber seeds germinated quickly inside but the parsnips haven’t appeared at all, not one seed. I’m also on the second sowing of chillies and the third will be complete within the next fortnight.
Raised Beds
Garlic has taken well this yr and continues to grow strong. The cabbage, spring onions and swede plants that have been in their respective beds since last Sept are once again showing signs of growth. I shall leave them until I absolutely need to move them.
I shall have to move the spring onions though because I keep forgetting to give them away to everyone I see! I need this bed for the Garden Connect layout and compost is being bought for that bed this weekend so that should begin to also take shape next week.
Grow House (Plastic, walk in)
I had a nice surprise when I finally took the plunge last month and got my sweet peas sown.
I added the potted up trays to the walk-in grow house expecting it to be it’s usual sodden state only to find it was bone dry! I ask what magical fairy might have sorted that little problem out for me because I have no idea how the insulated layer became dry.
There was me thinking it was a outside layer leak but with all the rain I think I’ve been proved wrong. Whatever the problem was it’s now gone and I can use the grow house without worrying all the plants inside will be threatened to mildew and other damp mould curses.
So now the grow house is has got three full trays of sweet peas (128 seeds sown), and continues to winter the container chives and one hosta.
Fence (Fruit and Nuts)
All quiet and still sleepy. I’ve given the cob bushes a very light prune and also had to plant two extra saplings, one to fill in a gap, the other to replace a cob plant that hadn’t grown well last yr.
Patio (Wildlife plants, hop, and soft fruit)
I took a look at soft fruit plants in certain high street shops the other day but they all looked pretty rough so decided against it. I will keep an eye out though as I want to use all the containers that are just sat laying around the shed.
No sign of the hop plant yet. I take a look every morning in the hopes I might be rewarded by a sign of green growth but nothing so far.
The bulbs and climbers are all in the throws of spring growth now which is very nice to see.
Other areas (Wildlife areas, lawn, and soft fruit)
Apparently the boss isn’t happy with my attempt of lawn making last yr so I’ve got to either do it again or bring in a professional turf layer. I’ve opted for the latter because that was 100% effort on my part last yr, and without extra resources and experience of levelling it just won’t look good if I tried again. The lawn looks okay to me (it’s got grass after all!), but that’s because it hasn’t been cut yet. At that point no doubt I will hear cries of horror coming from the boss!
The border around the lawn (which will be made bigger in the new *amazebobs* lawn) is coming to life with various perennials and I am pleased to report that the hellebores is finally flowering!
Front Garden
As you know I am in the midsts of redesigning the front garden. The old shrubs went and the new native hedging came which I spent a good day getting the area and soil ready and finally planting all 31 plants.
Unfortunately the rest of the area is just too big a job for me. It’s neither level nor edged and so I’m in the throws of getting some quotes from landscapers to help me with it.
So far the first quite that came in nearly gave me a heart attack. If the others send me away crying like a wounded animal I think I’m going to have to learn landscaping pretty sharpish!
Not to worry though I’ve set a task to get both the gardens complete and finished by end of April either way, so watch this space!
My top three jobs to do in March
- Source and buy fruit bushes for the pots and containers
- Get the front garden landscaped
- Plant the onion and second early potatoes
Garden jobs to do around the garden in March:
- Start to weed and mulch borders with compost, manure or chippings.
- Carry on feeing the birds (don’t over do the feed as it will be left laying about)
- Sow parsley, beetroot, peas and spinach outside.
- Add fertilizer to fruit trees
So, what will you be up to in the garden this month?
