Collier's Garden Scoop

March 2014

In the spring I have counted one hundred

and thirty-six different kinds of weather

inside of four and twenty hours.

~Mark Twain

'Chojuraku' Quince

The first signs of spring are beginning to appear, but which

of us can really say what kind of weather this month will bring?

By mid to late March, our inventory will expand dramatically, and by mid-April even the most timid gardeners are ready to plant.

Early arrivals will include many trees, shrubs, perennials & herbs, as well as frost-tolerant annuals. Regardless of the weather, during March the nursery will be filling up with gorgeous plants to cure your spring fever!

*Average last frost: March 23rd

The Gardener

Maxfield Parrish, 1906

Garden Checklist for March

-It's not too late for winter pruning:

Crape myrtles, evergreens with insignificant blooms (boxwood, hollies & cleyera, for example), roses, butterfly bush, all hydrangeas except oakleaf, summer-blooming spirea, evergreen ferns, perennial grasses, liriope & mondo grass can all be pruned or cut-back now.

-Lawncare: In late March or early April, apply fertilome All Seasons to zoysia & bermuda lawns.

-March is still an excellent time to plant trees, shrubs, vines & groundcovers. So, finish up those landscaping projects before flower-planting time arrives!

-Begin planting perennials & herbs, as well as frost-tolerant annuals. Container gardens that can be moved & protected in the event of a cold snap can also be planted in March.

In the Greenhouse This Month...

Shamrocks

'Belarina' English Primrose

Lots of indoor color, including shamrocks, forced bulbs, hothouse hydrangeas, cyclamen & kalanchoes.

Pansies, violas & English primrose, all of which are cold-hardy, can be used to refresh plantings before the threat of cold weather has passed.

Bacopa

Snapdragons

Geraniums

Frost-tolerant annuals, such as alyssum, bacopa, diascia, nemesia, geraniums, marigolds, petunias & snapdragons will be the first to arrive during March.

Budded & Blooming in the Shrub Yard...

(Although not pictured here, forsythia, spirea, blueberries,

redbuds, & flowering cherry & apricots are also in stock!)


Paperbush Very fragrant, clustered blooms nod atop bare stems in late winter.	Camellias (Pictured here 'Professor Sargent') We have good selection of winter-blooming varieties right now.