March is a good time to do the following in your garden and landscape:
- Begin cutting back perennials a few plants at a time. When it's time to wake up and grow they'll be ready and so will you! Clean up your cuttings but leave the mulch around the plants this month - the big storms are still ahead.
- If you weed and feed your lawn, buy your preferred fertilizer and be ready to use it as soon as you see daffodils and dandelions start to show. Try to time your application with a snowstorm so it can soak well into the ground.
- Top-dress garden beds with a rich compost so it has plenty of time to soak into the existing soil (the roots of your plants will appreciate it).
- Keep the perimeter of your home clear of clutter and any items that could be potentially flammable (all it takes is an ember to start a major fire). This will also discourage animals and birds from getting too comfortable around your home.
- Plan what you will grow this year (see the Seed Catalog listings on our To Read page , and look for the stores to begin having seeds starting the end of the month. You want to pick up your seeds when they are offered so you get a good selection. You don't have to start the seeds now but can save them for late May when we're able to safely begin planting seeds for the summer's bounty of vegetable and flowers.