March is the month when we can truly say ‘Spring is in the air’, especially towards the end of the month. The pure enjoyment of spring sunshine cannot be missed and draws every gardener outside whenever possible and the Rhino Greenhouse is the perfect place to enjoy some early spring seed sowing. The spring bulbs are beginning to bloom and Daffodils can’t be denied their moment and March is definitely it! The greenhouse is also the place for overwintering plants which are not ready to go outside just yet, as despite the promise of spring, the last frosts are sometime away for most of us just yet.
If you don’t have a greenhouse (yet!) a warm windowsill will do the trick and a heated propagator can be really useful as well. Sowing seeds such as tomatoes, peppers and salads will get the growing season off to a great start.
I have some overwintered Pelargoniums which are showing signs of new growth and in just a few weeks I will give them a feed as a boost for flowering in summer. I took many cuttings of geraniums including the scented geranium - Pelargonium ‘citrosum’ - which as the name says does smell of citronella. It doesn’t deter mosquitos in my experience but it does smell superb!
In the UK, depending on the region, it can be wise to move tropical plants into a greenhouse over winter. Take a close look at these during March to check for new growth, pests or diseases and think about repotting them up if needed. Bananas and Palms are a good example of this. Plenty of gardeners also keep some houseplants in the greenhouse over winter which will stand back outside again in early summer, so the same applies - have a good check on the health of the plants. All through winter, if the greenhouse is unheated, they may need a few layers of horticultural fleece or bubble wrap for extra protection on colder nights.
If you’d like some inspiration of what can be grown in a greenhouse all year, I visited the University of North Carolina Charlotte to take a look in the MacMillan Greenhouse. Not only is it a great example of what can be overwintered but is also home all year to tropicals and orchids. Hope you enjoy the vlog!
Happy Spring!