Flower & plant growing guide for March

Spring is upon us, and the temperatures are starting to warm, which means that spring and March planting can begin in the garden. Spring and the month of March are a wonderful time of year as the colder months disappear and flower buds start to appear, but sometimes with the unpredictable nature of the English weather, it can be difficult to know what plants and flowers to seed. In this guide, we take you through some of the best flowers and plants to sow in the month of March.

Read on to find some of the varieties you should be looking to add to your garden and some of the tips and tricks to care for them in the ever-changing conditions.

Flowers and plants to plant in March:

• Wildflower Mixes
• Dahlias
• Sweet Peas
• Pot Marigold
• Deciduous Trees

Wildflower Mixes

Wildflowers are a great filler plant and look beautiful in large planters and open spaces due to their variety of colours and shades. Wildflowers will often grow voluntarily in gardens with the right conditions and soil types but sowing a wildflower mix is a great way to ensure a large variety of blooms and colours.

Gardeners World mentions planting wildflowers in your garden in March and the basic process you need to go through to achieve a flourishing plant: “Annual wildflower mixes can be sown in March. As with hardy annuals, prepare the soil well by removing weeds and raking to a fine tilth, but do not enrich the soil.

Dahlias

Unlike wildflowers, Dahlias need to live in the greenhouse if they are being planted in March. They will often flower in their first year and are great for those with smaller outdoor spaces as they thrive in pots and planters.

The team at Sarah Raven plant dahlias and comment about their diversity and beauty on their website: “Dahlias are some of the lowest maintenance, highest production cut flowers and garden plants you can grow. Here at Perch Hill, we grow hundreds and hundreds of dahlias, and they are the highlight of the summer and autumn garden. Excellent cut for a vase, each dahlia tuber can produce hundreds of flowers, meaning a colourful show inside and out for weeks on end. They come in all different sizes and colours, each as exciting as the next, but they also come in myriad shapes.”

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Sweet Peas

Sweet peas are a sensitive plant that reacts badly to midwinter temperatures and harsh conditions. They are best sown either between October and November or February and March for best results. Temperatures and light levels are a contributing factor to their success so planting them in well-draining areas that are out of direct sunlight but in lighter areas is preferred.

“Sweet Peas are one of the most popular cottage garden flowers, prized for their beautiful blooms and gorgeous scent. Trained onto a wigwam-shaped plant support they form an impressive column of fragrant, summer colour in beds and borders. Growing and planting Sweet Peas is easy and they are excellent cut flowers, the more you pick the more they’ll grow.”

Pot Marigold 

Pot Marigold is a plant that may not be as commonly known as some of the other flower and plant types in this guide but is equally as beautiful due to its striking gold colour, perfect for the spring and summer months. They are ideal for pots and borders as well as being mixed alongside other finer and more delicate flowers that may need a little protection. Flowering all through the summer months and into autumn, you can expect to see their blooms for 6 months of the year as well as enjoy their wonderful fragrance.

The team at Gardeners Path explain a little more about the plant on their website, explaining: “This annual herb can grow up to 24 inches tall, depending on the variety, and produces vibrant flowers in shades of orange, yellow, or peachy-pink that bloom from early summer through fall. They brighten up beds and borders, add a pop of colour to containers, and are a beautiful addition to cut flower arrangements or bouquets.”

Ornamental Trees

Trees are an essential part of any garden and not only bring colour and height to an area but offer protection and shade for other plants and flowers around it. Below are some of the popular tree choices that are great to be plated at this time of year.

Acer Platanoides ‘Crimson Sentry’: Norway Maple

These beautiful feature trees have deep purple and red leaves and make a real statement in any garden. Unlike some other tree types, this species only grows up to 6x2 metres in 20 years so is great for medium and larger gardens but could adapt easily to most spaces.

Ornamental Trees sells this species of tree and comments more about the tree type on their website and what you can expect if planting this in your garden: “A beautiful feature tree, this Purple Norway Maple has dark crimson foliage which covers the upright branches. Growing to just 6x2 metres in 20 years, Acer platanoides 'Crimson Sentry' is ideal for small gardens, and it would also make a lovely feature at an entrance or gateway. It is not only popular for its narrow form but also the beautiful lobed foliage which turns from dark red to rich purple in the summer and then to bright red again in the autumn.

Betula Pendula: Silver Birch

A Silver Birch is a common tree that many will recognise the name of and is a great March planting tree. This medium-size tree has droopy leaves that is often described as an elegant choice for gardens.

Love The Garden explains a little more about how to plant sapling Silver Birch trees on their website, commenting: “Plant bare-root trees between November and March, and container-grown ones any time of year, but preferably in autumn, winter, or spring. Dig a hole 60x60cm (2x2ft) and 30cm (12in) deep. Add a layer of organic matter – such as compost or well-rotted manure – to the base of the hole and dig in. Place the roots in the planting hole and adjust the planting depth so that the tree is planted at the same depth as it was originally growing, and the top of the roots are level with the soil surface.”

If you’re planning to get, give your garden a spruce before spring, then hopefully this guide has given you a little inspiration. Gardening is great for people of all ages and skills, even those who may struggle with their mobility or those who may use straight or curved stairlifts. For more useful guides like this, take a look at our blog.