What’s Growing on in the Garden: March 2024

It’s officially spring (hooray!), and I’ve been noticing signs that the farm is waking up from its winter slumber. Our perennials are starting to poke their heads out of the soil, and the branches of the trees and shrubs are swelling with buds. I’ve been enjoying the spring symphony of birds excitedly chirping as they check out the numerous birdhouses on the property, no doubt house hunting for the upcoming season. With spring officially here and the growing season well on its way, I thought it was time to bring back our monthly ‘What’s Growing on in the Garden’ series! So, let’s start with a recap of what’s been growing on the farm in March.

The bulbs we planted in the fall are well on their way, and we anticipate having beautiful spring blooms to share within the next few weeks!  Our tulips and daffodils are up and forming buds, along with the Iceland Hummingbird poppies.

The ranunculus and anemones have grown strong roots in the cool weather and have put out fresh foliage, bulking up before setting buds.

Our peonies have broken through the soil, and other perennials, such as our bleeding heart, veronica, columbine, sedum, hellebores, and many others, have also started putting on new growth.

If there is one thing I’ve learned since becoming a farmer, it is that so much of growing is out of our control. Mother Nature is a powerful force that we farmers try to grow in tune with but often find we are working against, whether due to climate change or pests and disease. This past week, I discovered some of our tulips were infected with a fungal disease that was most likely present in the bulbs at the time of planting. The only way to stop the disease from spreading to our other tulips was to pull all the infected bulbs. Losing several varieties of our tulips that I’d lovingly planted and hoped to share was a heartbreaking disappointment. Farming is challenging and is not always filled with playing with beautiful flowers, but the days I do get to share our blooms make the tough days worth it. Luckily, the rest of our tulips look great and will benefit from the recent rain and the sunshine forecasted for next week.

I’ve been busy sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings into the beds this past month. Flower favorites such as salvia, snapdragons, stock, feverfew, yarrow, and statice have all been sown and are growing under lights indoors. As we prepare for the upcoming season, many more varieties will be planted in the forthcoming weeks.

Our sweet pea seedlings graduated from their hardening-off period and were transplanted into the cutting and pollinator beds, where they are growing strong roots. I’m happy to see them flourishing. There’s so much to look forward to in the upcoming season!

I also wanted to share news of some exciting investments we’ve made for the farm this year. We are adding drip irrigation and a floral cooler to Whistling Bee Farm! I will spend the next week setting these new tools up in anticipation of the start of the growing season. These two investments will make our farm more sustainable and help us better serve our customers. For the past two seasons, I’ve watered all our flowers by hand. It is time-consuming, inefficient, and unsustainable for the longevity of the farm. Drip irrigation will be more efficient, waste less water by getting it right to the roots, and better for the health of our plants. Likewise, a floral cooler will allow me to keep our flowers fresher for a more extended period and be more efficient in harvesting. I am so excited to have these tools, which will vastly improve our efficiency and sustainability this season and in the future.

I also made several trips off the farm in March for some non-farm-related events. Several college tours with our son were both emotional and exciting. Honestly, I’m not sure how time flew by so quickly, but I’m excited to see what the future holds for him. I’ve also been preparing for a class I will co-teach this weekend on summer bulbs, such as ranunculus and dahlias. It’s been a lot of work to prepare, but I’m looking forward to engaging with people who want to learn more about this gardening topic. Lastly, we had a chance to visit one of our favorite places, Catskill Animal Sanctuary, for some sheep snuggles. We have been supporters and animal sponsors at the sanctuary for over eighteen years, and every visit brings us joy.

Well, that’s what’s been growing on here at the farm this past month. Everything is waking up, and there is a sense of excitement and renewal around the farm and an anticipation of the season to come. I’d love to hear what’s been growing on in your garden. Happy spring!