From the Garden:
Even though we still have snow, my mind keeps wandering to spring.
Just a little while ago, I heard the first little birds in our garden… and it honestly surprised me how much that changes the mood. The light is different now, too, not warmer exactly, but more present. Like the garden is waking up, slowly, under the blanket.
March is a perfect time to begin (without rushing): winter sowing, starting seeds indoors… and yes, a plant light can still be your best buddy if you want sturdy, not-stretched seedlings.
And a quick winter check-in while we’re here:
- Add shade cloths to protect evergreens from early sun + wind
- Shake heavy snow off branches when you can
- Make sure your yews are protected from deer
It feels like we’re allowed to move forward again.
The Design Note:
Backyards aren’t only summer havens.
When you plan for all four seasons, you get to enjoy your garden four times more!
This is the part people often miss: four-season planning isn’t about trying to force the garden to bloom through all winter. It’s about making sure your yard still has shape when the ground is covered with snow, so it never feels totally empty or flat or “hidden.”
That means when spring does start… your first snowdrops and early bulbs get to arrive in a space that already feels held together. No panic. No “why does my garden look so sad?” feelings. Just a calm frame, ready for the next layer.
I see this a lot in places with real winters and tricky shoulder seasons: freeze–thaw, grey weeks, and surprise snow after you thought spring had started. If you garden anywhere in those 4 to 5/6-ish “maybe spring, maybe not” zones, you know exactly what I mean. Despite different weather patterns, we have the same craving: we want the garden to still feel like ours, even before everything greens up.
So what holds it all together?
Woody plants. Every time.
Yes, structures like fences, trellises, pergolas, and focal points help a lot. But nothing beats seasonal interest from woody plants, especially in late winter and early spring, when you need a “backbone” for everything else.
A few tough, beautiful options that earn their keep:
Coniferous evergreens like dwarf cultivar Degroot’s Emerald Spire (Thuja occidentalis ’Degroot’s Spire’) are sleek, modern, and steady all year round
Birches (Betula) with bright bark against a darker background are pure Scandinavian magic (even on grey days)
Amur chokecherry / Amur cherry (Prunus maackii) and its peeling cinnamon-brown bark is one of those details you notice more when the garden is quieter
And then one day, the snow finally melts… and you spot the green mats of creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) around those first snowdrops.
That’s when you know: spring didn’t arrive all at once. It was there, building in layers.
A Small Practice:
Some Small Things to Notice This Month
While you have snow in the yard, take a slow walk or even just stand by your favorite window. Pause to look at your garden as shapes.
- Where does your eye land?
- Where does it slide away because there’s nothing to “catch” it?
You’re not fixing anything today. Just noticing what already gives structure… and what might be missing for next winter.
If You’d Like Support Here
If you want help choosing good, reliable evergreens, here’s my Essential Evergreens guide:
A Question for You:
As the season turns… what’s on your mind?
A) What are you going to sow this spring?
B) What’s one new thing you want to try or learn this growing season?
Hit reply — I read every message.
I’ll be right here with you as the season turns.
Warmly from the garden,
Responses