The thrill of Spring, buying British Flowers, and Mother’s Day Workshops!
Ah, March. The month where the garden finally starts to wake up, shaking off winter’s slumber with a good stretch and a yawn.
It’s the moment we gardeners and growers have been waiting for—the official green light to get growing. Granted, the weather in March is about as predictable as a cat’s mood, swinging wildly from warm, sunny afternoons to frosty mornings and the odd sideways sleet shower. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?
Down on my flower farm I have been frantically sowing seeds for all the gorgeous blooms I want to grow this year. The dilemma I face however, I adore everything! so fine tuning to a few varieties is always a problem for me.
I have also been clearing up the flower beds of weeds and topping up some sand to my paths to make the growing space look neat and tidy. I always say when the weeds start growing that’s a sure sign the ground is warming up and it’s time to get yourself into gear.
I have been updating my website with new Spring workshops and of course bountiful bouquets and events to celebrate Mother’s Day at the end of the month.
You can find all the details here: https://www.fieldgoodflowersyorkshire.co.uk/book-online
Have you heard of the old saying “March comes in roaring like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” It’s a time of contrasts, a battle between winter and spring, where you might be sowing seeds in a T-shirt one minute and defrosting your watering can the next. But one thing’s for certain—this is prime time for getting things started in the cut flower patch.
As we embrace the new growing season, it’s the perfect time to think about where our flowers come from. While supermarkets are bursting with cheap bunches of imported blooms, they come at a hidden cost—a high carbon footprint from air miles, excessive chemical treatments to preserve them, and questionable working conditions in some parts of the world.
In contrast, British flowers are grown seasonally, sustainably, and without the need for chemical preservatives. When you buy local blooms from someone like me, you’re supporting small-scale farmers, reducing environmental impact, and enjoying fresher, more fragrant flowers that haven’t been flown thousands of miles. March is the start of our growing season, so look out for homegrown tulips, narcissi, ranunculus, and anemones—all as beautiful as their imported counterparts but with a much lighter footprint. By choosing British, you’re investing in a better future for flowers, farmers, and the planet.
I am the Membership Lead of an amazing organisation called Flowers from the Farm which is a directory of Flower growers and florists across the UK that offer seasonal British flowers to purchase. Most of our growers like myself, grow with a sustainable and environmentally friendly ethos, this means low carbon footprint and no chemicals on your flowers. Nature knows best and that it is how it should be.
You can find the directory here: www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk
So, what should you be doing in your garden now the merry month of March is upon us?
March is the month where planning meets action. The soil is starting to warm up, and if you’ve been itching to sow seeds, you can finally do so (with a bit of common sense). Here’s what to focus on:
Hardy Annuals – Larkspur, cornflowers, nigella, am I, and godetia can all be direct sown now. A few frosts won’t bother them, and they’ll reward you with strong, resilient plants that flower beautifully in summer.
Sweet Peas – Glorious scented blooms I would not want to be without. If you didn’t sow them in autumn, now’s your chance. Soak the seeds overnight and pop them in root trainers or deep pots for strong, healthy plants. Another option is pre shooting them in a Tupperware container on your windowsill, wait until they have popped from their shell and have a little shoot showing before you plant up. Both these options work well for strong shoots. They love cool conditions, so a cold frame or unheated greenhouse is perfect.
Dahlias & Gladioli – Not for planting out yet (they’d turn to mush in a frost), but now’s the time to wake up your dahlia tubers in trays of compost indoors and order gladioli corms for summer colour.
Perennials & Biennials – If you sowed foxgloves, wallflowers, or sweet Williams last year, they’ll be raring to go now. Give them a good feed and watch them shoot up.
Mulching & Weeding – Get ahead of the game by giving your beds a good mulch of compost or well-rotted manure. Not only does it feed the soil, but it keeps weeds down, and in a month’s time, you’ll be glad you did!
For those who grow a bit of veg alongside their flowers (because why wouldn’t you?), March is a brilliant month to get things moving:
Root Crops – Carrots, parsnips, and beetroot can all go in now, but warm the soil first by covering it with fleece or cloches for a week before sowing.
Brassicas – Cabbages, cauliflowers, and kale sown now will be perfect for later in the year.
Onions, Shallots & Garlic – If you didn’t plant them in autumn, no worries! Spring planting varieties can go in now.
Potatoes – Get those seed potatoes chitting (sprouting) on a sunny windowsill, ready for planting later in the month. My husband swears that my homegrown potatoes make him sleep like a baby, so worth a try if you are having issue sleeping.
Lettuce & Salad Leaves – Hardy varieties like winter gem, rocket, and mustard greens can be sown in trays or directly under fleece.
If tackling that array of jobs doesn’t leave you exhausted then its also a good idea to get…
Pruning – Give your roses a final prune before they start shooting away. Late-flowering clematis (Group 3) can be cut back hard now too.
Wildlife Care – Bees are waking up! Plant early nectar sources like pulmonaria, primroses, and crocus to give them a helping hand.
Greenhouse & Tool Shed Spring Clean – The job I dislike the most nut let’s be honest, it’s been a dumping ground all winter. A good tidy-up now will make life much easier in the months to come.
Rainwater Collection – If you haven’t got a water butt, now’s the time to set one up. Water conservation will be key in the hotter months ahead. I wouldn’t be without mine, I currently have fie on the go but would love more!
So as we near the end of this exhausting jobs for March extravaganza I would like to offer you , as always some fun facts and a March poem to see us out
Did you know daffodils contain a compound called galantamine, which is used in Alzheimer’s medication? These cheerful yellow blooms aren’t just a sign of spring—they’re scientifically fascinating too!
To finish, here’s a snippet from William Wordsworth’s “Written in March”, a beautiful ode to the changing season:
“The cock is crowing,
The stream is flowing,
The small birds twitter,
The lake doth glitter,
The green field sleeps in the sun.”
Could there be a more perfect description of March in the garden? Now, grab your trowel and get growing—spring is here!
Sally X
Further reading and growing advice is available from me in the form of affordable bite size ebooks which I have written to help you grow your own wonderful cut flowers. You can find them here…
Delightful Dahlias
Captivating Cosmos
Happy Hydrangeas
In my spare time when I am not growing flowers, I like writing and illustrating children’s books, I managed to get them both published last year and great for your little ones
‘Where is that Naughty Dog’ is a story about our rescued deaf staffy dog and is ‘almost’ a true story! He is now disabled too, bless him, so look out for his next book coming soon.
‘Come with me’ is a cute little rhyming story with lovely pictures to describe how wonderful our world is and just to be present in it, enjoy!
If you choose to click on the links provided, you'll be redirected to a retail site where you can purchase the items directly. I earn a small commission from these sales, which helps support my business and allows me to continue providing valuable content and recommendations. Your support through these purchases is greatly appreciated and makes a significant difference in keeping my work sustainable.
Sally Robinson, (AKA The Yorkshire Flower Faffer) Born and bred in Doncaster and owner of Field Good Flowers, a British Seasonal Flower Grower in Hatfield.
Sally is an avid lover of nature, gardening, writing and art and is a mum to three rescue dogs, always passionate about sharing her love and knowledge of all that is mentioned with you, and others willing to listen.
You can follow her journey here
Or email her at sally@fieldgoodflowersyorkshire.co.uk
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