Thinking Spring: GBBD, March 2022
I am thinking spring. In Maine, winter is giving way to mud season – that messy, melting precursor to spring. Our daytime temperatures are now above freezing on most days; and even when they’re not, the March sun is warm enough to melt snow. When I walked down to the river this week (for the first time in several months), I found ice out and the water flowing freely. The warmer days bring rising sap, and maple trees along the roadsides have sprouted taps and containers to collect the flowing sap that will be boiled down into our sweetest spring crop, maple syrup.
The garden landscape is transforming from patches of bare ground peeking out from the snow here and there to patches of snow dotting the bare ground. Green foliage is visible on Heuchera and wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana).
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| And crocus shoots are up in the warming soil along the foundation, promising flowers before the month is out. |  |
Meanwhile, I am getting my flower fix from potted bulbs in my plant window. The last flowers of two amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs, ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Charisma’ are blooming this week,
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as are wonderfully fragrant potted Narcissus. |
Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is a monthly celebration of flowers hosted by Carol Michel at May Dreams Gardens. Visit her web site to see other gardeners’ March blooms.
Jean's Garden 
It’s got to be a joy to see those first spots of green color appear as the snow retreats! Spring operates on an entirely different schedule here – I’d say we’re already halfway to summer (sadly without much of anything in terms of winter rain this year).
Kris, Spring is a pretty short season here (about two months), and winter is our longest season (4-5 months). We’ve had below average winter precipitation for several years in a row, but my part of the state is thankfully not abnormally dry as we head into spring. Parts of Maine to my west and north are entering the active growing season with measurable moisture deficits, and there is an area in Maine’s western mountains that is already in a severe drought before we even start. Of course, what passes for drought here is much more precipitation than you would get in a normal year, and we’re not facing the serious long-term drought conditions that so much of the southwest is seeing. I bet you’re glad you put in all that rain collection and storage infrastructure.
Your Hippeastrums are always stunning. I love how you write about “maple syrup season”. I’m looking forward to reading more about your plans and progress in the garden this year, especially the strip along the driveway that was just new/expanded last year.
Sunil, This weekend is “Maine Maple Sunday” — when farmers open their sugar houses (where the processing of maple sap into syrup and other sweet treats like maple sugar candy happens) to the public. My garden is just appearing out from under the snow, so I’ve been enjoying going out to take a walk around each day and see what’s happening. (Today I noticed the first nubs of daffodils breaking through the soil.)
I have buds opening on my Jersey lilies.
Not NEARLY as exciting as seeing yours come up thru melting snow!
Now if the snow and cold would stop, my few bulbs would flower. But I am getting some indoor blooms too!
Coming here late, and it’s interesting to me that you garden both in Maine and in Gettysburg. I visited Gettysburg at the end of March. Daffodils were starting to bloom at Gettysburg College and forsythias were coming out the day we left. We have only now started to get daffodils and forsythias where I live in New York State this past week. I hope you have some good outdoor blooms to look at now where you live in Maine. Alana ramblinwitham