March - in like a lion?

Happy March!

The Farmer's Almanac Forecast predicts a possibility of snow early in the month so March may indeed come in like a lion! March is the season for Forsythia! You can'y have too much of this stuff whether you like to keep it trimmed like a hedge or if you have the room let it flow freeform. Forsythia blooms late March or early April but you don't have to wait until then to enjoy it. Right as you see buds start to form, cut a few branches and bring them inside and put them in a vase with water and they'll bloom. It's a great way to get through those final few cold weeks until Spring arrives!

When your Forsythia blooms it's a perfect time to prune back your roses to encourage fuller growth later in the season. Don't prune your Forsythia until it's finished blooming. Of course, I'm happy to help with all of your pruning needs if you would rather have a professional do it!

When we get warm weather early it's tempting to go shopping for annuals - they are all out in the garden centers, but be mindful of the last frost date which is actually May 5 so doing your shopping closer to mother's day is a better bet.

But there's still plenty to do in the garden, including watering when it's above 40 degrees (don't overdo it) and preparing beds, edging and mulching. It's a fantastic time to plant trees and shrubs - ask me about it! And please don't hesitate to give me a call at (973) 452-0354 to discuss garden plans for the year, preparing beds and pruning and to set up your lawn maintenance schedule. We have a 155 day growing season so let's get going and make it your best garden year yet!