Spring has finally arrived, everyone! The moment we’ve all been quietly anticipating is here — the season of fresh beginnings, new growth, and plenty of dirt under our fingernails. So grab your gardening gloves, put on your sun hat (no matter the weather), and let’s jump into the excitement of the spring garden. It’s time to plant, dream, and maybe even grumble about the weather — but mostly to plant.
Spring is often a bit chaotic. You’ve been nurturing seedlings indoors for months, gradually hardening them off to prepare them for the great outdoors. Meanwhile, you’re still harvesting those last stubborn winter crops, perhaps dreaming of the bountiful garden just around the corner. The dormant plants are awakening, the birds are chirping, and you’re thinking, “This is going to be a fantastic gardening season.” If you’re anything like me, you have a million ideas but also a ton of work ahead.
This month, I’m focused on giving my garden beds the royal treatment. After mulching, feeding them with comfrey tea (yes, I’m fancy like that), and ensuring the soil has enough microbial activity to get things going, everything looks good for a successful gardening season. The fruit trees are waking up, and my calendula won’t stop blooming, which, honestly, I’m not upset about.
So, what’s on the agenda for March? Well, let’s dive into the good stuff.
What I’m Planting
- Beans are always a staple in my garden, and this year, I’m planting pole beans—specifically, Seychelles and Violetta. These pole beans are fantastic because they continue to produce over a long period—unlike bush beans, which are a "once-and-done" deal. But don’t worry—I’m not leaving out the bush beans entirely. I will plant Kentucky Blue every two weeks to ensure a steady supply of beans all season long.
- Basil is another essential herb. I swear by basil every year, and this time, I’m growing three varieties: Tulsi (holy basil), a large Italian leaf basil for pesto (because who doesn’t need more pesto in their life?), and classic lemon basil. I’m a sucker for anything citrus-scented or flavored. This year, I’m making a conscious effort to space them out properly. Last year, my basil plants became a bit too friendly with each other, and the smaller plants got overshadowed by the larger ones. I’ll be planting them around my blackberries and fruit trees, as well as in containers, to keep things organized and make the best use of space.
- Corn —this is where I hope to redeem myself. Last year, my corn harvest was a bit of a disaster (thanks to my lack of irrigation and general neglect), but I’m going big this year. I’m planting corn in 3x3 blocks throughout the garden, beginning in the front and finishing in the back in April. I’m germinating the seeds indoors in plastic bags because corn germinates best in warm conditions, and the soil is still warming up. Regarding the variety, I’m debating between Country Gentleman and Japanese Black Sticky. I’m leaning toward the latter because if I’m going to make up for last year’s debacle, it’s got to be with some amazing corn.
- Squash is one of those crops I always claim I’m done with—yet here I am, planting it again. Butternut squash, yellow crookneck, patty pan squash, and possibly some zucchini if I have leftover seeds. I’ll plant two plants this weekend, then two more every two to three weeks after that. The goal is to achieve a steady harvest without letting the squash vine borer ruin the fun this year.
- Tomatoes are already two feet tall, and I’m just waiting for the last frost to pass before I plant them outside. I usually plant tomatoes in February, but this year I held off, and it seems that was the right choice since we had one final freeze in late February.
- Tomatillos are always a hit in my garden. These drought-tolerant plants require minimal care and continuously produce fruit. This year, I’m planting both purple and green varieties. My only concern with tomatillos is making sure I provide enough support and ample growing space.
- Peppers are another crop I’m not rushing to plant yet. I’ll wait until the end of the month when the soil is nice and warm. For now, they’re living in their 4-inch pots and receiving a little extra care. I did lose track of the labels for my peppers, but no worries — I’ll plant them next to their look-alikes and hope for the best.
- Potatoes are making their debut this year, even though I’m a bit behind schedule. I usually plant them around Valentine’s Day, but life got in the way. I’ll be growing them in fabric pots of different sizes and might even try to create a potato tower if I can find some free welded wire. It’s an experiment, so we’ll see how it turns out. Worst case, I’ll have a funny gardening story to tell.
What I’m harvesting
As for harvesting, things are looking pretty good. My perennial onions are ready to be harvested in abundance, and I plan to make sauces, dehydrated onion treats, or maybe just stockpile them for future garden projects. My oregano is spilling into the walkway, so it’s time to break out the dehydrator and fill up the mason jars. The cilantro that self-seeded last year is also ready for picking, and I’ll be grabbing some leafy greens like chard, kale, cabbage, and celery — the last crops from my winter garden. Oh, and I’ve been waiting for the horseradish I planted last winter to grow; now it’s time to harvest and spread the rhizomes to other places in the garden.
What else is happening
On a personal note, my twins are becoming more involved in the garden and are naturally fascinated by the beehive. To keep them safe, I will be building a small fence around the apiary. I am also putting up trellises along the fence to maximize the growing space—cucumbers are going to love this new setup.
Also, I’m starting new vermicomposting bins in 5-gallon buckets because, honestly, worms are awesome.
Lastly, I’m diving back into social media, particularly on YouTube. You can catch my weekly gardening videos on the Big City Gardener channel, where I share tips, tricks, and my gardening journey. There’s no reason not to start a garden, no matter how small your space is. You can grow something beautiful, I promise.
So, let’s make this spring the season we finally do all the things we’ve been talking or thinking about. Fill the bird feeders, provide some water for the pollinators, and, most importantly, get outside and plant plants.
If you enjoyed this blog and would like to see more from Timothy, you can visit his YouTube channel via this link:
