In the Garden: Caring for your garden in March

March can be a busy time in the garden, but it’s mostly a happy productive time. The first thing for north Whatcom County gardeners will be to take stock of their gardens.

We experienced an unprecedented long freeze, ample snow and several windstorms over the course of the winter. Now it’s time to take a walk around the garden to check for damage that needs attention. I had one tree come down, a few damaged tree and shrub limbs to saw off, and a lot of storm debris to move off paths and planting beds. It’s likely other gardeners will find similar damage.

Not everything looks alive yet, but it is time to take knowledge of plant timelines into the garden to see how everything is doing. I am familiar with which plants in my garden are early spring awakeners.

If you are unsure of a woody plant’s yearly cycle, you can carefully examine the plant for buds. With many, you can use a thumbnail to scratch the bark. If green shows, the plant is just slumbering still.

Sadly, my Brachyglottis greyi, a New Zealand native commonly known as a daisy bush, looks dead. This handsome sprawling zone 8 shrub I planted in 2010 is hardy down to 20F, but our temperature dropped below that point for several days. Ceanothus, commonly known as California lilac, with the same hardiness rating, have also succumbed. Hopefully, you won’t have lost too many favorites in your own garden when you do your observations in March.

I will start garden cleanup as well, although this can be done at a leisurely pace. Gradually, the form of the garden will emerge as old flowers are cut and composted, and tired foliage trimmed. By the end of the month, a tidier garden structure will have emerged and I can plant new acquisitions such as those I bought from the Whatcom Conservation District native plant sale.

I will take advantage of spring rains by planting all but the most tender plants to help them settle in and spread their roots. Seeds like grass, microclover and most wildflower mixes can be sown to take advantage of natural rainfall. Even a few vegetables, such as kale, peas and radishes, can be sown should our temperatures remain seasonable and the soil temperature reaches 45 degrees.

March is also an ideal time to start seeds indoors or in another protected environment like a greenhouse. Most flower seeds can be started indoors now, as can many vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce and peppers. If you have a lawn, March is the best time to revitalize it by aerating, fertilizing and reseeding. For reseeding, many people here are experimenting with microclover, which remains green throughout the summer and can be mowed to the height of lawn grass. Microclover is a win-win for pollinators and soil health. The only reason to not use it as a replacement or supplement for grass is that the flowers attract bees. I think that is great, but people with allergies or small children might think otherwise.

If you are looking for conversation and information not only seed related, nurseries and garden clubs are awaking from their winter slumber. And, lastly, you can start planning your trip to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival for later this spring.

March is a busy time for gardeners, but it is so exciting and so much fun.

Rhiannon Allen is a member of the Point Roberts Garden Club.