• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • The Gardenangelists Podcast
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

The slower pace of a cold March

March 18, 2013 By Carol Michel 6 Comments

Vintage Garden-y Postcard

Hearty good wishes to everyone. 

Here at May Dreams Gardens, I’m feeling all caught up as we wind down on St. Patrick’s Day.

In spite of a high temperature that was probably not quite 40F, I went out to the garden and scratched up a little dirt today so I could sow seeds for peas. I am a traditionalist in my garden. I observe the ritual of pea planting on St. Patrick’s Day, rain or shine… or cold.

I’m going to wait another week or so to sow seeds for lettuce, spinach, and radishes.  Normally, I would have planted them all with the peas, but it was chilly and overcast outside, not exactly the kind of weather that makes you want to linger around and dream of summer.

In past years, I would have also potted up violas and pansies to put on the front porch for St. Patrick’s Day. I bought some Cool Wave pansies on Saturday but I’m waiting a few days before I pot them up.  In the meantime, they’ll be fine up by the brick on the porch, while we endure a few more nights with temperatures well below freezing.

I also cast seeds of violas all around the back yard today, including the traditional Johnny Jump Ups
and a variety called ‘King Henry’.  I am hoping that they will come up all over the place.  I also threw some chamomile seeds into the
mix. Now, some might think that’s just insane, especially the chamomile which can become weedy,
but I like how the chamomile smells when you cut it with the mower. It smells like a good apple. It’s all part of my plan for more flowers in my lawn.

Once I had finished casting seeds about, I  cut the stubs of the switch grass, Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, down to nubbins in the front yard. I had been looking  at that patch all week after hand cutting it back last Sunday and decided I should go after it with the electric hedge trimmers to cut it back further.  I did that today and checked it off my list.  I still need to cut back  the other grasses in the back yard but fortunately, it’s been cold enough that none of them are coming back yet, so there is still time to do it.

Indoors, I finally sowed seeds for several varieties of tomatoes, one variety of peppers, ‘Cubanelle’, and a few different flowers, including Nicotiana, Bells of Ireland, and Calendula.  I don’t rush to plant outside until around mid-May, so there is plenty of time for these seedlings to sprout and grow before then.

I’ll admit I still have quite a bit to do before May, but because it has been mostly cold this month, I feel like I have some time. This is a nice change from last March, which was the warmest March around here, at least since they started to keep records of such things. All the plants, and weeds, came up suddenly out of nowhere and there seemed to be no time left to do anything at a normal pace. It was all hurry, hurry, hurry.

I much prefer this slower pace.  Though I have much to do, it feels like I’m all caught up, at least for now, and there will be plenty of time to do all I want to do in the garden this spring.  I know deep down that this feeling is an illusion. By the end of March I’ll once again be running about the garden trying to get everything ready for summer. That’s more or less a tradition around here, too.

But until that happens, I’m going to enjoy this slower pace of a cold March.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: gardening

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    March 18, 2013 at 10:31 am

    Ah, the slower pace is a sweet pace, I agree, Carol. Not feeling behind, if not exactly caught up makes for a happy life.

    Frances

    Reply
  2. Christys Cottage Wildlife Garden says

    March 18, 2013 at 12:12 pm

    Isn't it nice to feel caught up! Of course being gardeners we all know that we are never really caught up because the garden is always changing so there's always something to do…(which I love!) I planted Chamomile last year and it had spread quite a bit however it hasn't flowered for me…..I only have little green mounds. I hope it flowers this year!

    Reply
  3. Yardfranny says

    March 18, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    In my zone 8 gardens, we are having a very typical March – some wind, some cold, some real warm weather. By the end of March it will be time to get on the ball and be ready for our hot and hopefully humid weather. We still have some drought conditions and higher humidity, though uncomfortable is needed.

    Reply
  4. Kathy says

    March 18, 2013 at 1:15 pm

    I will be following the progress of your flower seeded lawn. I love the smell of chamomile crushed underfoot, even though I don't care for it as a tea.

    Reply
  5. Donna says

    March 18, 2013 at 9:51 pm

    Carol I think the lingering winter is telling us to slow our pace. I love when my violets and tommies grow in the lawn. Your flowers in the lawn sounds lovely and I look forward to seeing and hearing more about it.

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    March 20, 2013 at 7:21 am

    "the slower pace is a sweet pace"

    Couldn't agree more. Since the fact that the garden is always changing so there's always something to do.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,053)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT