Clean your pruners and get out your gardening gloves. Spring is here, attracting more days, fresh blossoms and annual garden chores. In the Pacific Northwest and Southwest, it’s time to prune trees. Ancient bulbs and wildflowers are peeking their heads above the soil around the Northeast and Great Lakes regions. Start your herbs and vegetables in Texas, and do not forget about companion plants. While you’re at it, try something new in the backyard — indigenous or exotic — and recall your local wildlife. Here Is What to do in March from the U.S., region by region.
Find your March backyard checklist:
California | Central Plains | Great Lakes | Mid-Atlantic | Northeast
Pacific Northwest | Rocky Mountains | Southeast | Southwest | Texas
Putney Design
Northwest. “I am not certain if I really like the apple blossoms or the real apples” says landscape designer Karen Chapman, “but I do know that without proper pruning, then the trees won’t be as vigorous nor create as much fruit as they could. This is the last month to prune fruit trees, so sharpen these pruners.”
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Secret Gardens
California. Plant bougainvillea at a kettle at the moment and you may have a gaudy display by midsummer,” writes California backyard editor Bill Marken. “It is best to choose one of the compact kinds, for example ‘Singapore Pink’, ‘Temple Fire’ or ‘Purple Queen’. When planting, take special care to not split the root ball plants are sensitive about this.”
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Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
Southwest. “Do you love citrus?” Asks Arizona horticulturist Noelle Johnson. “March is the best time of year to put in a new citrus tree to the backyard. Any pruning that your citrus needs must also be done this month.”
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Jean Marsh Design
Rocky Mountains. “While planning your vegetable garden, try to integrate companion plants for plant life,” suggests Colorado landscape designer Jocelyn H. Chilvers. “Great partners for tomato plants include members of the onion family, carrots, parsley, cucumbers, nasturtiums and marigolds. “
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Steve Masley Consulting and Design
Texas. “Get your herbs and veggies in the ground for months of crop,” says landscape designer Jenny Peterson. “Chard, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes, tomatillos and endive will transplant well this season — look for healthy (free from germs and diseases) 4-inch pots in your local nursery. Herbs like artemesia, chives, lemongrass, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, sorrel, thyme and santolina may also be implanted. Remember that mint tends to aggressively take over a backyard, so look at planting it while it’s still in its plastic nursery pot to maintain its roots from spreading too much.”
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Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens
Central Plains. “While you’re considering plugging holes at the garden vista with decorative native blossoms, consider adding some architectural features which are likewise beneficial to wildlife,” writes Nebraska garden adviser Benjamin Vogt.
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Barbara Pintozzi
Great Lakes. “Usually by the end of March, the first of the native wildflowers, sharp-leaved hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. Acuta), begins flowering,” writes garden coach Barbara Pintozzi. “It is a bit sooner than round-leaved hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa). Both are semievergreen and might benefit from a little bit of dead-leafing before flowering.”
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Susan Teare, Professional Photographer
Northeast. “Look for early bulbs,” writes landscape designer Charlotte Albers. “They can be hard to see if they’re scattered over a big area, but they make a big impact after weeks of color deprivation. Shown here is reticulated iris (Iris reticulata), one of the very oldest transient bulbs to look throughout the leaf duff and debris of late winter.”
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Amy Renea
Mid-Atlantic. “While searching for new development, do not forget to look for seeds,” advises Amy Renea. “Many plants have seedpods hanging on for dear life, and you may frequently harvest seeds to plant instantly.”
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The New York Botanical Garden
Southeast. “If you’ve ever wanted to plant a clematis in your mailbox, now’s a good time to plant you, but only if you have a sunny location that does not receive the hot afternoon sun,” suggests garden author Helen Yoest. “Clematis requires good soil and good drainage. Mulch around the plant to maintain the roots cool.”
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Watch more U.S. regional backyard guides
8 Surefire Herbs and Vegetables for Beginning Gardeners