Have you heard the birds chirping in the morning? Did you enjoy the first rays of the sun? Here we are, here comes spring!
In March, in the garden , while some trees and shrubs timidly unfold their first leaves, others are already proudly showing their flowers. The bright yellow mimosas and forsythias so delightful at the end of winter are accompanied by Japanese quince and the first flowering cherry trees .
At their feet, the bulbs begin their festival: the first narcissus , grape hyacinth , iris reticulata , squill and chionodoxa lead the dance. As for perennials, bergenias , lungworts and pretty periwinkles are not to be outdone… Among the evergreen climbers , it’s the turn of the beautiful clematis armandii to show off. If you don’t have it in the garden yet, don’t hesitate any longer: it is an essential evergreen variety for its fragrant white flowers.
All these early flowerings are truly heart-warming and only make you want to go back to the garden!
And that’s good because if March is a busy month, it’s also the month when the climatic conditions improve… even if, it must be admitted, the end of February was remarkably mild and that the next fortnight promises to be rather rainy. Rejoice, it will be perfect for filling the cisterns!
In the ornamental garden
Take advantage of the beautiful days to continue pruning summer flowering shrubs , to prune modern roses and to start cleaning the perennial beds. Once the grasses have been cut , you will see more clearly and you can resume planting.
Finally and to perfect the whole thing, as soon as the weather permits, do the first mowing of the year and cut your borders . This chore is a great way to block out “weeds” and get a neat look!
The month of March also marks the end of the planting period for trees and shrubs with bare roots: ornamental shrubs, hedge shrubs , fruit trees : it’s now or never! Also take the opportunity to install your berries .
In the vegetable garden
In the vegetable garden, it is time to prepare the plots. Remove the mulch and let the soil warm up. Perhaps you will be tempted to turn the earth upside down. Don’t do anything before reading Aurélien’s article: “turning the soil, good or bad practice?”
If you haven’t already done so, you can continue your sowing in a warm place , at home or under a heated shelter (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, basil, etc.), but don’t forget the annual flowers ! Under unheated shelter, you can already start cosmos, nasturtiums, marigolds…
