This month, it‘s time to say goodbye to winter and prep for warmer days by adding mulch, tackling weeds and getting started on veggies.
by Helen Yoest

In March, I spy spring ephemerals such as Virginia bluebells, snowdrops and bloodroot flowering in my yard. After nearly four decades of gardening in Raleigh’s dense red clay, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of mulch and these beauties are thriving. As we transition out of winter, here’s what I’ll start working on. 

Worrisome Weeds

This time of year chickweed (a low-growing ground cover with star-shaped flowers) and henbit (a plant in the mint family that’s about 5 inches tall with pink to purple flowers) are spreading. Don’t let these invasive weeds take over your garden — remove them before they flower! Chickweed spreads in an ever-growing circle: lift its edges to find the center root and remove with a soil knife. Henbit grows as an individual plant, but it’s easy to pull. 

Mighty Mulch

For healthier plants, less weeding and a beautiful garden, spread mulch! It benefits soil by moderating temperature, retaining moisture, suppressing weeds and adding nutrients. It also makes the garden look tidy. Choose from double- or triple-shredded hardwood or softwood, composted leaf mulch, pine straw or fallen leaves. If you need several cubic yards, consider the free service ChipDrop or have it delivered from a local company like The Mulch Masters. Raleigh-based Family Home & Garden also offers it by the truckload for pickup or delivery. 

Plant Cool-Season Veggies

Now’s the time to get baby plants like broccoli, lettuce, kale, peas and spinach into the ground. If you didn’t start yours inside from seed, garden centers are stocking up now and have done the work for you! Watch for pests such as aphids, caterpillars, cutworms and flea beetles, which love to munch on leafy greens. The first signs of aphids are ants, which love to eat the pest. If it looks like something’s been chomping at your lettuce overnight, it’s likely a caterpillar or cutworm. The safest ways to get rid of pests are by using homemade soap sprays or diatomaceous earth or removing by hand.

This article originally appeared in the March 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.