March in the California garden

Some images include links to informative websites and videos. Click on the image, then follow the link at the bottom.

macro closeup of deep purple flower and bud with leaves of Helleborus niger, called Christ

Hell-of-a-Borus Planting

Plant Helleborus now while they are in bloom in nurseries. Great late winter/early spring color for shade. And hardy in both home and commercial gardens.

It's Herbs with an "H"

Even in small pots, herbs do well with regular watering. Some do fine on windowsills, but in California's great weather, try growing them outdoors. The best container is one normally suited for strawberries where each pocket can have a different herb species. Or, if you have space, dedicate herbs to a stylized garden like the knot garden at the Filoli Estate or as Martha Stewart created in the link below.

Heap of bark mulch on white background, set.jpg

Mulch! Mulch! Mulch!

Start mulching to keep weeds down but skip the dyed products....like parents telling children to not pick things up off the ground because "you don't know where it's been." Haven't mulched before (the proper way)? Consider starting fresh with sheet mulching to help your soil improve for the benefit of plants. See link below.

Catawba Rhododendron Cultivar (Rhododendron catawbiense).jpg

Rhododendrons are coming into bloom, and some are actually native to California. Here's a link to California Native Plant Society's list: https://calscape.org/loc-california/Rhododendron(all)/vw-list/np-0?.

One of TELCS's favorites, Rhododendron occidentale, can be found in the link below.

Prepared for planting in early Spring. faucet with red handle for drip irrigation. Drip Ir

Away with Spray

Consider changing out old spray irrigation for drip...there are a lot of options these days, including use of drip type irrigation under lawns. The link below will help you become familiar with its use, design, and maintenance.

Traditional Old wooden cold Frames for plants giving protection from frost and hardening o

A Chilly Start

Start frost tender veggies and flowers in cold frames to get a head start on the season. In Northern California, we typically look at April 10 as the day when all danger of frosts are over. However, in spring 2022, I documented several days of frost as late as May, so starting seedlings indoors or in cold frames is still a worthwhile effort.

The following link offers more information about our friend and foe Jack Frost.