What to do in the Garden in March – provided by WGC members; Nancy Greeley with contributions from Suzanne Knutson and Liz Kiester

Get started with Your Spring Cleanup:

  • Before you get started, keep in mind that you should try not to walk on your lawn or garden beds while frozen, wet or muddy to avoid soil compaction.
  • Cut back dead foliage from perennials (if not already done the prior fall).
  • Cut back evergreen or otherwise-persistent perennial foliage. Leaves of European ginger (Asarum europaeum), Helleborus, and Epimedium, for instance, will soon be replaced with a fresh flush.  Leaving the old foliage on the plant will not harm it but with many early blooms, it will look much better without all the old foliage.
  • Prune bushes — roses, hydrangeas, boxwoods, hollies, etc.
  • Clear out fallen branches from garden beds.
  • Start cleaning out your water gardens.
  • Rake debris carefully off beds that hold earliest bloomers first, for example, where bulbs are trying to push up through leaves.
  • Cut down ornamental grasses right at the base otherwise mice and other garden undesirables, may find them to be a cozy nest!