"In the Spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love"
                              Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

Weather Watch: Cloudy, cold (1,2,3). Nor'easter, heavy snow (4,5,6) with flurries, high winds and colder temperatures (7,8). Fair and cold (9,10) with more flurries (11,12). Cloudy and cool (13,14,15) with snow in the North and rain in the South (16,17. Fair and much colder (18,19) with more snow in the Northwest and rain on the coast (20,21). Fair and cold again (22,23,24) remaining fair and not quite so cold (25,26,27,28). Showers and STORMS (29.30) with fair and mild weather (31).

Full Moon: March's Full Moon occurs on the 21st 6at 1:40PM EST. Native Americans called it WORM MOON because March's warmer temperatures often softened the earth just enough to allow earthworms to begin burrowing out of the ground. It also has been known as SAP MOON because the sap would start to rise at this time throughout the region.

Special Notes: Vernal Equinox occurs on Thursday, March 20th at 12:48AM EST and signals the arrival of Spring (at last!). Don't forget to set your clocks one hour ahead when Daylight Savings starts on Sunday, March 9th at 2AM EST.

Holidays: Be sure to wear something green in honor of St. Patrick on Saturday, March 17th! In 2008, Good Friday falls on March 21st, Easter Sunday on March 23rd, and Easter Monday on March 24th.

The Garden: Get outside and rake old grass and debris (that is, once the temperatures have warmed up and the snow has all gone!). As soon as your compost pile thaws, start to turn it with a fork as best you can. March is prime time for feeding shrubs and perennials that bloom in the Summer months.

Rack back mulch, fertilize, and then replace the mulch. Start slow-growing and cool season seeds such as onions, leeks, parsley, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, eggplant and peppers. Test-germinate any leftover seeds from last year before planting. Place ten seeds between several paper towels, keeping the towels moist and warm for a few days. If less than eight of the ten seeds sprout, consider starting with fresh seed. Transplant and fertilize sprouting seedlings after a light rain when the ground is easier to till and roots are fully hydrated. For plants that need protection from heat and wind, plant on a cloudy day or late in the afternoon. As a general rule for most warm weather annuals, delay sowing until after the final frost.

J. Grubers' Thought for Today's Living:

"It is often true that the more one learns, the more one realizes how little one knows"