March 2022 Garden Update

Welcome to the March 2022 garden update! Most of the cool-season crops were harvested this month, and the spring season crops were planted.

March 2022 Gratitude

Every month I like to look back and take a moment to reflect on what I have to be thankful for. And I encourage you to join me in taking a moment to reflect on a few things that you’re thankful for as well. 🙏

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault

This month was pretty busy between clients and students, which didn’t leave much free time to go exploring. But part of a journey that I’ve been on is to cultivate a life that I don’t feel the need to vacation from. This month I was thankful for my backyard and the oasis that it has become. Not only is it the home of my garden, but it’s also my place for relaxation and restoration. Last year I discovered how much I enjoy hammocks and this month I decided to add one to my backyard. 🌴

This month I’m also thankful for innovation. I’m a data-driven person. My background and education are in analytics 📈 and I think it took some time before I realized just how much I enjoy using data for improvement. I recently invested in an Oura ring 💍. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s sort of like a fitness watch, but much more streamlined and with a focus on sleep. I’ve only had it for a week, so I’ll hold off on leaving a review. But it’s already working as a reminder to prioritize my health.

I’m also thankful for my gardenia bush that has started to bloom. As I type this, the scent of gardenia blossoms is filling my office. I love the smell of gardenias. And I’m reminded, just how beautiful the little things are in life. ❤️

March 2022 Garden

This month marked the beginning of spring. And that marked the ending of my cool-season crops and the beginning of my warm-season crops. Of course, like much of life, this isn’t a clear-cut black and white transition. My cool-season cabbage is still growing, and collard greens and celery can grow throughout the spring season.
My raised vegetable garden bed produced a lot this month. The broccoli 🥦 and cauliflower heads were all harvested. And in their place, I planted eggplant, bell peppers, and banana peppers. I LOVE pickled banana peppers. And I’ve also found I prefer growing Ichiban Japanese eggplant compared to the classic black beauty eggplant. Ichiban is a long and slender eggplant that takes less time to grow and I personally find it easier to slice and sauté.

In addition to the broccoli and cauliflower, this month we also harvested mustard greens, spinach, and collard greens. The broccoli heads were exceptionally large this season due to growing a different variety than I typically do.

I also harvested a lot from my herb bed. My lemon balm plant started taking over (member of the mint family), so I completely harvested and dried it to use as tea. And in its place, I planted even more strawberry plants!

This month I introduced three new strawberry varieties 🍓🍓🍓 to my garden bed, including Ozark, Quinault, and something called Berri Basket with pink strawberry flowers. I also previously had pineberries (white strawberries), Rainbow Treasure, and an heirloom everbearing variety.

One of my two pineapple plants 🍍 has started to flower, and the citrus trees now have small fruit.

What’s Growing?

Here’s what was growing in March 2022 in hardiness zone 9b:

Vegetables: banana peppers, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, eggplant, mustard greens, spinach, and tomatoes.

Fruit: honey tangerines, Key Lime, limequat, Meyers lemon, Persian lime, pineapple, and strawberries.

Flowers: cosmos, gardenias, marigolds, Mexican heather, pentas, and Shasta daisies.

Herbs & Spices: dill, chives, oregano, garlic chives, lavender, lemon balm, lemon thyme, parsley, peppermint, sage, and sweet mint.