When the sun shines in March, it really does feel like winter has shuffled off to make way for spring. Though experience has taught me to greet this seasonal change with optimistic caution, as all too often temperatures can slump.
Why not peruse our list of the best plants for March, lovely gardens this month and the gardening jobs for March.
Thankfully, there are plants much tougher than me, coping better with the erratic nature of March’s weather. In borders I’d champion narcissi, scillas and muscari. I love the electric-blue, bi-coloured species Muscari latifolium, along with the more flouncy Muscari aucheri ‘Ocean Magic’; both work well with the acid greens of low-growing Euphorbia myrsinites and classic Narcissus ‘W.P. Milner’. This year
I’m trying a mix of Muscari azureum, Muscari armeniacum ‘Night Eyes’ and Muscari aucheri ‘Blue Magic’, planted in small terracotta pots topped with moss, where they should be equally enchanting temporarily indoors as they are on the garden table. But for plants to come, here's what to get sown and in the ground. BP
What to plant in March
March is the perfect time to begin sowing seeds, particularly if you have a protected environment (greenhouse, cold frame etc).
Flowers to sow in March
Hardy annuals
The first flush of annual weed seedlings is a good indicator that soil temperatures have warmed enough for growing cultivars of hardy annuals, such as Agrostemma githago, Centaurea cyanus and Papaver somniferum. These will germinate well from a direct sow, along with many umbels including Ammi majus, Bupleurum rotundifolium, and chervil and dill, which benefit from the cooler temperatures.
Read our expert guide to planting seeds.
Vegetables to sow in March
Beans
For the vegetable patch, there are broad beans and peas to start off, though tender borlotti, French and runner beans should be left until the risk of frost has passed.
Beetroot, carrot, parsnips
As we reach the end of March, I direct sow beetroot, carrots, parsnips and radish. It’s also a great time to plant any hardy modular-grown vegetables such as broad beans, garlic and onions, along with sweet peas.
Ornamental grasses
My attention also turns to lifting and dividing many herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses, along with planting new ones, including bareroot additions, such as Convallaria majalis pips and strawberry crowns.
Looking for spring flowers to plant?
Swiss chard
There is virtually no time in the year when I do not have Swiss chard growing somewhere, whether in the garden itself or in a pot in the courtyard. But even this seemingly inexhaustible crop eventually runs out of steam, and this is the time to start over again. I sow my seeds under glass so that I can have decent-sized seedlings by planting time. Prick out when the true leaves have formed, and plant out once they have reached a decent size – if you have sown in plug trays, look for roots coming out of the bottom of the plug – provided the weather is mild enough.
Chard will grow happily in a large pot too. Just allow about 10cm between seedlings when planting out in a pot, or 15cm in the ground. Don’t be tempted to plant them closer as they are prone to mould. The other danger comes from slugs and snails, which love the tender young leaves, so try these organic slug controls and keep the surrounding area free from weeds. Try ‘Peppermint’ with its candy-striped pink and white stems, or the aptly named ‘Pink Flamingo’, which contrasts stems of an eye-popping cerise with the darkest green glossy leaves. Aaron Bertelsen
Peas
I have heavy clay soil, which is why I sow my pea seeds under glass and then move the seedlings outside. This system is also useful for spacing, so you know how many plants you need and that you have enough. Before you even think about planting out early sown seedlings, however, you need to put up supports. Check how tall your plants will ultimately get, and remember that when your pea plants
are in full growth, the supports will have to hold a lot of weight, so consider using posts as well as pea sticks and brushwood to hold it all up.
Once planted, watch out for birds and snails eating the young growth. It is worth using fleece over the young plants until they start to climb up the supports. One pea cultivar I really like is ‘Dwarf Gray Sugar’, which, despite the name, always seems to me to grow rather tall. It also has the most beautiful reddish purple flowers, which I love to add to a salad. So pretty. AB
