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March 2015
"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot
and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light,
and winter in the shade."
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Fair, not as cold (1, 2, 3) with snow in the northern part of the region and rain in the south (4, 5, 6). Fair and cold (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) turning cloudy and cool (13,14,15). Rain, some snow in the north (16, 17, 18) and again, cloudy and cool (19, 20). Storms, some severe in
the south (21, 22); fair and mild temperatures (23, 24, 25). Windy, colder, with lake-effect snow, showers in the south (26, 27) turning fair and mild (29, 29, 30, 31).
Full Moon: March’s Full Moon will occur on March 5th. Because March’s warmer temperatures tend to soften the frozen earth just enough to allow earthworms to begin appearing, it has been known as Worm Moon. It has also been called the Sap Moon by many Native American tribes because sap would start to rise and run at this time.
Special Notes: Don’t forget to set your clocks one hour ahead when Daylight Savings starts on Sunday, March 8th at 2:00 AM EST. The Vernal Equinox will occur on Friday, March 20th and signals the arrival of Spring (at last!).
The Garden: Get started early if the weather allows. 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 For best selection, consider buying Summer bulbs like gladiola, cannas, irises, dahlias and lilies but wait until
mid to late April to plant. It has long been a tradition to plant peas and potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day. Onion sets, asparagus, and rhubarb can also be planted now as well. Start to remove mulch covers from roses, azaleas, and other tender shrubs once nighttime temperatures rise into the mid-30’s.
Start to prune Summer and Fall blooming shrubs now but wait to prune Spring-blooming shrubs such as azaleas until after they bloom. Lastly, many regions have flower shows in the month of March. Check where one is going to held in your area and make plans to attend. They can be the source for many great ideas for your garden this year.
J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living
"If you are going to something good, do it now; if you are going to do a mean thing, do it tomorrow."
Index of Past Month's Entries
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