Revel in the Arrival of Spring

Happy Vernal Equinox! This has been a historically wet and chilly winter in the Bay Area, and it looks like more clouds and showers are in store. But, at least I know that from tomorrow, March 20 until the summer solstice, every day will be longer than the last. 

I never fully appreciated spring until I started appreciating plants; it seemed like an annoying extension of winter with unreliable weather. But that’s the best thing about gardening: it puts you in touch with the rhythms of the natural world, which supersede your daily troubles (like getting rained on).

Spring can be overstimulating for gardeners, especially here in the Bay where it starts early. Excited by new growth everywhere and intoxicated by the perfume of star jasmine and wisteria, we container gardeners want our balconies and patios to reflect earth’s awakening ASAP.

If you’ve thought ahead a little, having planted a few bulbs last fall or sowed some seeds in February, you’ll have a head start. But if you haven’t, don’t stress– it’s not too late to make the most of the season! 

In this post, I’ll share a window into my garden-planning process for the curious, plus next steps for flower seedlings and suggested tasks for March and April. It’s a bit of a mix, but all in celebration of early spring on the balcony!

Bulbs!

The emergence of tulips and daffodils has been the most exciting thing happening on the balcony this month by far. To learn more, check out my extended post on spring bulbs so you can start planning for next year!

Once my bulbs have finished blooming, I’ll snip off the flowers of the three that I companion-planted in large pots (in the hope that they’ll die back and return next year) and empty out the two rectangular bulb-dedicated planters to make room for new inhabitants.

Flower seedling update

On that note, the ornamental flower seeds I sowed in February are coming along nicely. I have six healthy babies each of cosmos, nasturtiums, and marigolds. 

Since I planted them in a low-nutrient seedling mix, I figure that at the 4-5 week mark they could use a boost. Now that their “true” leaves have come in (not the first two baby leaves that open, but the next leaves that look like miniature versions of their adult selves), I’ve started feeding them weekly with a very diluted liquid fish fertilizer. I also mulched their tiny pots with pinches of regular potting mix, which is richer than they stuff they were born in.

Deciding when to pot up seedlings requires a balance of several factors. Potting them up too soon or too late will stress out the plant, and low overnight temperatures may necessitate keeping them indoors longer than you’d like. I will wait to pot them up until they’re quite robust, as tall or slightly taller than their pots with roots poking out the bottom, but no later.

Of course, I have been plotting their destinies, so if the weather behaves I’ll plant them directly into their intended locations. If not, I’ll graduate them to slightly larger nursery pots (4” or so) and keep them indoors overnight until it warms up. I’ve already started hardening them off by placing them outside during the day in bright shade, something one ought to be able to do at this time of year in the Bay.

New growth everywhere

Another cool spring thing: perennial plants that I hard pruned in late fall are coming back to life. There’s a reason those Christians chose springtime to celebrate Easter; it is a time of miraculous rebirth! 

I cut my rose and fuchsia back to bare, stumpy canes in November. In the past three weeks, my rose has tripled in size and now sports several buds. Even my fuchsia, which I thought might actually be dead from the look of it, has started leafing out. 

Various herbs are all bouncing back after dramatic winter haircuts. A few things I overwintered look dicey, but it’s only mid-March. If they don’t make it, that means more room for new plants!

How I plan my garden

Dreaming and plotting for my garden is almost as fun as the gardening itself.

Gardening in containers can be like solving a jigsaw puzzle. All gardeners try to match the right plants with the right spots, but with containers and small spaces your options are more limited.

I like to sketch out very loose, schematic plans for each season using pencil and watercolor. Though clearly aspirational, this process helps me visualize the distribution of plants among my available planters. I confess it rarely turns out the way I draw it, but at least it provides a creative outlet in the depth of winter when I’d rather stay indoors.

On a more pragmatic level, I keep a running list on my phone of gardening tasks to do each month. These including re-potting and moving plants, buying supplies and plants at the nursery, sowing seeds, and so forth.  If the drawings keep me inspired, this habit of notetaking keeps me organized.

Spring tasks for March and April

Speaking of, here are some suggestions for tasks you can do to get into the spring spirit!

• Mulch pots with compost to replenish nutrients, improve drainage, and support all that new growth
• Sow late-season flowers and vegetables that you want to plant out in mid-summer. I’ll be sowing peppers, basil, asters, and more marigolds.
• Remove winter annuals you plan to replace. In my case, I’ll be discarding my pansies in the compost bin and giving my heucheras away.
• Head to the garden center before it gets too crazy to purchase seeds, potting mix, and any plants you need to fill empty pots and gaps.

And most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy the changing of the season. Grill something outdoors now that it’s light past 5 p.m.! Stop and smell the daffodils and bluebells lining the sidewalks! Vocally greet all the new leaves unfurling and buds forming, in your garden or out in the world! Feel the sun on your face! Revel in the arrival of spring!