Southern Gardening Potpourri for March

The other day, someone came up to me and asked me what is going on in my garden? Well, I replied, I honestly do not know for sure as 80% of it is underground. I can report that the bulbs I planted are coming up like narcissus, crocus, tulips, and daffodils and they will soon let out a big shout, announcing Springtime. Since I planted pansies, dianthus and dusty miller last November, they have survived the cold weather we have just endured, and are blooming their heads off. Remember, that if you are planting pansies in a north facing area, the yellow ones do the best as they need less sun to bloom. Also if your yard is shady in the summer from deciduous trees, these areas should be getting a lot of sun now that the leaves have fallen. This just illustrates that your yard receives different sun exposure at the different seasons.

There are many stores offering daffodils for sale now. In our area, there are 3 varieties that come back every year and multiply reliably. They can be naturalized even in heavy clay soil. These are: Mount Hood, Ice Follies, and Carlton. If you plant these now, they will be late, but who cares.

Plan for the next season in your garden.

This is always a good idea since you can figure out the size of the areas for the number of plants you will need to purchase. Good flower design for the garden is to have flowers planted in drifts, rather than the flowers lined up like marching soldiers. Also do not space them too far apart, thinking that they will fill in. Most plants will show on the tag this information. If not, ask someone in a garden center or go to Google. Remember we do not want our gardens to resemble plucked chickens.

If you have wintered over Geraniums, clean up the dead foliage and stems, and they can be planted now. If you are not sure where they should be placed, put them in pots, fertilize and let them thrive in the early spring weather. These are what are known as cool weather plants, and will take even freezing temps in zone 8.

PLANT OF THE MONTH--LAMB'S-EAR(Stachys byzantina)

Lamb's-ears are a very popular perennial with thick velvety silvery gray- green leaves. Some call them donkey tongues. They thrive in full sun and partial shade, like well drained soil and most of all, they are deer and rabbit resistant. The only problem is that they can not be over-watered as they will rot. Drought resistant, and easy to grow, they shoot up spikes of yellow and pink flowers in the summer. Another plus is that they attract pollinators. One can easily propagate Lamb's ears by dividing the root -ball. The silver green leaves can act as a foil for really vibrant bright colors in the summer bed.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY AND GOOD GARDENING.