WHAT TO GROW IN MARCH
March is one of those months that feels full of possibility in the garden. The growing season is beginning to stir properly and it’s the perfect time to choose plants that won’t just look good for a few weeks, but that will really earn their place over the year. In this episode, five standout choices were highlighted, spanning edibles, ornamentals and longer-term investment plants, all chosen to help build a garden that performs well and keeps giving.
TOMATOES
First up are tomatoes, one of the most rewarding crops to grow from seed in March. They’re quick to germinate, easy enough to raise on a warm windowsill or in a propagator, and once you’ve tasted a homegrown tomato, supermarket ones rarely compare. With so many shapes, colours and flavours available, they’re also a crop that invites experimentation. A small number of plants can provide bowls of fruit through summer and into autumn, making them a reliable and useful choice.
POTATOES
Potatoes are another obvious but essential March crop. Seed potatoes can be planted from mid to late month, either in the ground or in containers, and they’re one of the most satisfying harvests a gardener can have. They’re forgiving, productive and available in a huge range of varieties, including many you’ll never see in the shops. For something so familiar, they still manage to feel special when you lift your own first crop.
EDGEWORTHIA
The featured “investment piece” is Edgeworthia, a shrub that brings something completely different to the garden. It’s not cheap, but it rewards patience with beautiful structure in winter and highly scented flowers in late winter and early spring. In a sheltered position with well-drained soil, it develops into a striking shrub that offers both architectural form and seasonal interest.
CELERIAC
For the vegetable patch, celeriac is a less obvious but very worthwhile choice. It needs a long growing season, so March is the right time to sow it indoors. Though it may not be the prettiest crop, it delivers excellent flavour and stores well, providing useful harvests right through the colder months.
VERBENA BONARIENSIS
Finally, Verbena bonariensis proves that flowers grown from seed don’t have to be limited to annuals. This airy perennial adds height, movement and months of colour, while also attracting bees and butterflies in huge numbers. Easy to raise, easy to buy and often happy to self-seed, it’s one of the most versatile plants for adding lightness and wildlife value to the garden.