Five March Gardening Tasks

After about a week of daily temperatures in the mid-40s here in southern New England we can finally see the ground. The snow is not completely melted, but for the most part it is starting to feel like spring may actually come again this year.

Still Some Snow in the Garden

This past weekend Hubby, Sadie and I got out in the yard to see what we needed to get started on for our March gardening to do list. This year we are faced with much more clean up than usual due to harsh winter weather, including the blizzard. We've lost several trees in our yard.

Cutting Down A Badly Damaged Tree

That means task #1 on our March To Do List: Cut down the damaged trees. Two trees in our front yard were so badly damaged by the snow and winds we had no choice but to cut them down. They used to screen us from having to look at an unsightly utility pole. Truth be told, we'd rather look at the unsightly utility pole than be without power. They had to go.

Another tree just missed crashing through our garden shed as it fell in the blizzard.

This Tree Missed the Shed by a Hair

It has to go as well. As a result of all this tree damage everywhere I look we have piles of wood and debris, which brings me to task #2: Clean Up Yard Debris.

Tree Remnants

The silver lining in this tree loss is that these piles mean we will have plenty of wood to warm us as we sit in front of our outdoor chiminea.

I Love a Chiminea Fire

To Do Task #3: Clean up Perennials. I try to cut back my perennials in late fall so that my early spring to do list is shortened, but there are always a few plants that need attention this time of year. I never got to tend to the Montauk Daisies that grow in several areas of my yard. They are actually members of the chrysanthemum family and need cutting back twice a year to keep them growing compactly.

Montauk Daisies in Need of Trimming

While I was at it I cleaned up the leaves that had gotten caught in the plants. Nearby I could see daffodils beginning to peek through the ground. Just last weekend these plants were still covered in snow.

March Daffodils

Other tasks on my Garden To Do List this month include:

Task #4: Get Ready to Start Seeds. It's time to start thinking about what I will plant in my garden this year. Before long it will be time to plant my spinach, sugar snap peas and lettuce seeds. If you are going to start seeds inside you'll want to assemble the materials you will need now.

Thinking about My Vegetable Garden

Task #5: Prune Trees and Shrubs. Take a walk around your yard and assess whether your trees and shrubs need some pruning. This is a good time to see what needs to be done while the leaves are still off of them. Don't prune your spring flowering shrubs now though. You'll need to wait until after their flowers fade.

Wait to Prune the Spring Flowering Shrubs

Now that March is here we can say good-bye to winter. It's time to get out there and start tending our plants for another healthy growning season.

What's on your gardening to do list this month?

Enjoy!

Comments

The Best Asian Dipping Sauce You'll Ever Taste

If you're looking for a versatile, easy-to-make Asian dipping sauce perfect for sushi and dumplings, then you've come to the right place. This recipe for the best Asian dipping sauce is perfect for any time you want a kick of delicious Asian flavor. An Asian Dipping Sauce for Sushi and Dumplings Try this if you are looking for a dipping sauce that is a little more flavorful than you typically get with your takeout order. You'll love it with dumplings, too!

How to Make a Perfect Bacon and Eggs Breakfast

In my opinion, the best breakfast consists of two perfectly fried eggs, crispy bacon, and toast made with hearty bread. This bacon and eggs recipe delivers. Bacon and eggs or eggs and bacon? No matter, it is definitely the breakfast you want on those lazy mornings when you have time to relax around the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee or two. The Best Bacon and Eggs Breakfast (This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. When you make a purchase using these links you help support this blog.) How to Cook Bacon and Eggs My technique was learned from my mom, by watching her make our family's breakfast over and over again, year after year. This is a basted egg recipe which means the eggs are cooked in bacon grease. Cooking eggs in bacon fat is easy and takes just a little practice to perfect.

Traditional New England Whoopie Pies

These old-fashioned whoopie pies are soft, chocolatey, and filled with a rich, creamy filling, just like the ones many of us remember. This is a true New England-style recipe. If you’re looking for a true whoopie pie recipe—the kind made in New England with a cooked filling—this is it. Whoopie pies are a beloved treat, a nostalgic dessert that evokes childhood memories and continues to delight today. My mom would make them for us every once in a while. Oh, what a treat to come home from school to a platter of chocolate whoopie pies! This recipe, inspired by traditional Maine-style whoopie pies, comes from my family recipe box. It delivers soft, chocolatey cakes with a rich, creamy cooked filling – no marshmallow fluff needed! The Best Whoopie Pies Recipe (Soft cakes & Creamy Filling) This post includes affiliate links. Whoopie pies are essentially handheld cake sandwiches: soft, round, cake-like cookies embracing a luscious, creamy filling. While their ...

How to Kill Ants in Your Home

Simple Homemade Ant Bait That Works If you’ve ever had ants show up in your kitchen, you know how quickly a small problem turns into a big one. This simple homemade ant bait uses just three ingredients and works by eliminating the colony, not just the ants you see. No sprays. No guesswork. Just a method that actually works.

Crunchy, Spicy Gingersnap Cookies

An Old-Fashioned Cookie That Always Turns Out There’s something about a good gingersnap cookie that just feels right. Not fancy. Not complicated. Just dependable… and really, really good. These crunchy, spicy gingersnaps are the kind of cookie you make when you want something you know will turn out—and something everyone will recognize and enjoy. They’ve got that classic crackled top, a warm blend of spices, and just enough sweetness to balance it all out. And the best part? They’re easy. No mixer required. Traditional Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe ( This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated when you make a purchase with these links.) Gingersnaps Cookies This old-fashioned gingersnap cookie is a winner. It's easy to make and will be a favorite in your recipe rotation.

Grandma's Soft and Chewy Date-Filled Cookies

One of the things I can count on as the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons arrive each year is a feeling of nostalgia. The traditional foods we serve at our family's holiday tables can surely bring out all the feels. Now that it is officially cookie season, we should kick it off with an old-fashioned homemade date-filled cookie recipe. This is a soft, tender cookie with dates that is a special, nostalgic, family recipe. An Old-Fashioned Date Cookie Recipe What are old-fashioned date-filled cookies? Old-fashioned date-filled cookies are a nostalgic, soft sandwich cookie featuring two rounds of tender sugar cookie dough with a sweet, homemade date jam filling in the center. This vintage 1930s recipe is a traditional holiday favorite, prized for its soft texture and the perfect balance of buttery dough and naturally sweet dates. This old-fashioned, date-filled cookie was my dad's favorite cookie from his childhood. My dad was born in 1932, so this...

Coffee and Dessert-A Perfect Pairing

3 Easy Coffee Drinks to Make at Home (Perfect with Dessert) Coffee and dessert just belong together. Not in a fussy, go-out-to-a-restaurant kind of way… but in that simple end-of-the-day moment when you want something a little special without making a big production out of it. The good news? You don’t need any special equipment to make a really good “dessert coffee” at home. If you can brew a strong cup of coffee and warm a little milk, you’re already halfway there. In this post, I’m going to show you three easy coffee drinks you can make in your own kitchen, and exactly what to serve with them when you want that coffee shop feel without leaving the house.

Five Keys to Growing A Healthy Ficus Tree

Have you ever wondered how a single Ficus benjamina tree could become a beloved part of your home for decades, thriving and growing alongside your family? If you haven’t yet, you might consider the addition of this living, air-purifying companion in your home that not only beautifies your space but also stands the test of time. You may know this tree as either a Ficus benjamina or a weeping fig. I have loved growing a ficus tree in my home for 36 years. It’s remarkable that I've had this tree for so long. How to Grow A Ficus Tree Inside for Decades This post includes affiliate links. I may receive compensation when you use these links. When thinking about how I managed to keep this indoor ficus tree happy, healthy, and growing strong all these years it boiled down to five key Ficus benjamina plant care tips. Follow these tips and you can have a happy, healthy ficus tree in your home for many years, too.

The Ultimate Cinnamon Swirl Bread: A Bread Machine Recipe

Today's recipe will fill your kitchen with an incredible aroma and lots of smiles. It's homemade cinnamon swirl bread made with your bread machine. If you’ve ever struggled to get that perfect cinnamon swirl or ended up with gaps or leaking filling, this method fixes that using your bread machine. Bread Machine Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Soft, Easy Recipe) This post includes affiliate links. This recipe brings together the ease of your trusty bread machine with the deliciousness of a warm, sweet, and perfectly swirled cinnamon bread. Get ready for a slice of pure comfort!

The Best Way to Cook Bacon: Oven vs. Stovetop

How to cook bacon is often hotly debated. Cooking bacon in a pan on the stove has always been an easy go-to method. Cooking bacon in the oven has grown in popularity over time. Are you curious about which bacon cooking method cooks bacon faster, which method produces the crispiest bacon, or which method offers easier cleanup? Those were the primary questions I wanted to answer in this bacon cooking comparison. How to Cook Bacon (This post includes paid links.) Whether you're a breakfast aficionado or just looking for bacon cooking tips for the quickest, crunchiest, and most hassle-free way to cook your bacon, I've got answers. Check out the Oven vs. Stovetop bacon battle and discover the fastest, crispiest, and easiest way to cook bacon for breakfast.

Just~One~Donna

Search This Blog