Gardening, Flowers and House Plant Care

There are 6 days and 18 hours left until Spring! What should you be doing in your garden right now? Check our March gardening guide here.

Spring Gardening - March

The fickle weather of March makes it impossible to set exact dates and schedules for planting, so proceed with caution! March is the month when many of the beautiful spring flowering perennials and shrubs begin to bloom. Aubrietia, Candytuft, Rock Cress, Bergenia, Snowdrops, Witch Hazel and many others will soon be brightening your days.

With Spring just around the corner, it is time to get serious and get the garden ready!

I know that most of us still have a long wait before we can start growing in the garden again, but if you take a peak at the map of last expected frost dates and do a little math, many of you will find that it is almost time to start seeds indoors for many cole crops like Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage and Cauliflower as well as a few other vegetables.

In some areas, you may even be able to plant seeds for root crops like Beets, Carrots, Radishes and Turnips directly into your vegetable garden very soon. Perennial vegetables like Rhubarb, Horseradish, Asparagus and Artichokes can all be planted now.

Its Still Winter in the Garden

It is important to heed the warning when your local forecaster announces a chance of frost, and take precautions to protect the plants in your garden from frost damage.

In the event of snow, be sure to shake or brush off the white stuff from the branches of your evergreens and shrubs. The light fluffy snow poses no real threat, but if it should become wet and frozen, the weight dramatically increases. Branches are more brittle when the plants are dormant, and the weight of the snow may snap them off.

Feed the Birds!

Please! Feed the birds and other small critters that may not be able to find food due to snow on the ground or other causes. For only a few dollars you can feed an enormous number of birds. You'll want them to stick around to help you in insect control when the weather warms again.

Caring for House Plants in Winter

Winter heating dries the air out in your home considerably. Help your house plants survive by misting them or placing the pots on a pebble filled tray of water to ensure adequate humidity and moisture. Keeping your plants near an aquarium will help as well. A Large Selloum, Elephant Ear Philodendron, Philodendron bipinnatifidum

Most house plants go dormant during the winter months and should be watered less, then be allowed dry out before watering again. Clean the foliage of your House Plants regularly with a damp cloth to remove dust. This will not only help the appearance of your plants but will help the plant to breathe, and remove some of the pests that tend to gather on the underside of the leaves. Continue to watch for insects or disease damage and take the necessary steps to control the problem.

You can still pot up some spring flowering bulbs for indoor color during the winter. Store the pots in a cool, dark place, until new growth emerges from the soil, and then move them to a bright window.

---

Gardening for Beginners

If you are a new or less experienced gardener who wants to start a new garden for the first time, I suggest that you begin here...

• Gardening 101: Garden Basics: Zone maps, charts, guides and more.
• Gardening 101: Deciding what kind of garden you'd like to grow.
• Gardening 101: Preparing the planting site to grow your new garden.
• Gardening 101: How to plant container grown plants into the garden
• Gardening 101: How to sow and grow new plants from seed.
• Gardening 101: Planting and Growing a Vegetable Garden.
• How to grow, maintain and care for your House Plants