THE MARCH GARDEN

The March Garden…..

Warm days, cold days, buds popping and snow flurries, migrating visitors and birds coming home for the summer – that is March. Gardeners hurry out to get ahead of the season’s crop of weeds, to prepare a place for their seedlings or to start their seeds in their houses.
The early morning is filled with the sounds of the birds of spring, visitors planning the day’s travel or complaining about the night before. The new arrivals loudly proclaim their territory as they start to put on their breeding plumage. Some of them are downright funny or pathetic to see. A baldheaded blue jay is not a pretty picture! (Not that I could get close enough to take one!)
It seems the wind chimes will never stop. I have several long deep sounding chimes that I dearly love, but every once in a while they get on my nerves. I am glad I don’t live close to neighbors – I am sure I would get complaints. My best chimes are in the furnace room out of the 30 mph winds. I can usually tell which way the wind is blowing and even roughly how fast by which chimes are clanging and in what pattern.
This is the time of year when the old lawn mowers are sputtering back to life mostly to mow up weeds, grind up old leaves, or blow the gum balls off into the woods.
The hedge cutters are busily trimming back camellias that threaten to block the sidewalks, or trying to discipline the honeysuckle that would gladly take over Possum Lane if I didn’t keep after it. Well, actually it would be a contest between honeysuckle, poison ivy, Virginia Creeper and Trumpet vine. And briars – don’t forget the briars!
The late camellias are starting to show a bit of color, maybe even opening a little bloom or two. Aunt Alice is trying to bloom again after getting such an early start in January.
The daffodils are finally opening as are the crocus and forsythia. It is amazing how the crocus bulbs travel around the yard and into the woods! I have found more little clumps of crocus this year out where I never planted anything. A fun surprise!
And then there was a white thing next to a purple crocus way back in the woods… I made my way thru the bramble… there was a little possum skull with a bit of honeysuckle growing thru it.
If you peek under the cover of shatters (pine straw to you firiners) you will find the tender shoots of peonies.
The “weeping” camellia is getting ready to open as is Red Emperor.
I love pussy willows! I thought they would be damaged as they first started to open back in January.
Most of the camellias and daffodils were birthday presents from one dear friend or another. The miniature daffodils were from Sabra who also gave me several of my favorite camellias, Debutante and Yule Tide, among others. My yard, or my jungle as my neighbors call it, is a living memorial to my many friends who loved flowers as much as I and knew the joy of having them around to remind us of those who loved us and have moved on. I have a habit of speaking to them as I see the plants they have given me over the years. If you are ever in need of giving a gift to someone you love, give them a living gift, one that will always be there to remind them they are loved by you.