March Weekends in the Garden: A Gentle Awakening

March is that in-between month where winter still lingers, but spring is undeniably stirring. The weekends bring a mix of crisp air and the occasional burst of warmth, the kind that makes you throw on a jacket and head outside, eager to shake off winter’s grip on the garden. There’s work to be done—cleaning, pruning, and clearing away the remnants of colder days—but also small moments of beauty, like the first snowdrops poking through the soil, reminding us that spring is just around the corner.

Clearing Away Winter’s Leftovers

The first order of business? Clearing out the mess winter left behind. Leaf debris, fallen twigs, and soggy, forgotten pots need to be tidied up to give the garden a fresh start. Wet, compacted leaves can smother emerging plants and create a haven for pests, so raking them up isn’t just about appearances—it’s about giving everything beneath a chance to breathe.

Pots that sat out all winter often need attention, too. If you’ve left containers filled with soil, now’s the time to check for waterlogged roots or cracks from the freeze-thaw cycle. Emptying, scrubbing, and refilling them with fresh soil gets them ready for new plantings.

Pruning for a Fresh Start

March is a great time to prune boxwoods and other shrubs before they put on new growth. For boxwoods, this means shaping them carefully—just enough to encourage air circulation and maintain their form, but not so much that you cut into old wood, which can be slow to recover. For other deciduous shrubs, removing dead or damaged branches helps direct energy into healthy new growth. And if you have hydrangeas, now’s the time to figure out what kind you have—some bloom on old wood, and you don’t want to accidentally snip off this year’s flowers.

The First Signs of Spring

Just as you’re elbow-deep in garden cleanup, grumbling about how much there is to do, something catches your eye. Tiny white bells, nodding gently on green stems—snowdrops, one of the first brave bloomers of the season. These small but mighty flowers push up through cold soil, through leaf litter and even light frost, as if to say, Don’t worry, spring is coming. Their resilience is a quiet encouragement that warmer, longer days are on the way.

So while March weekends may still require gloves and a warm cup of tea afterward, they also bring the first hopeful signs of life returning to the garden. A little pruning, a little tidying, and a few snowdrops later, and suddenly, winter doesn’t feel quite so endless anymore.