I hope your March is off to a great start! The sun has been shining here in North Yorkshire and is beginning to have some real warmth in it (I was in a t-shirt today for the first time this year!) the days are lengthening too, so now is a great time to start sowing many of the plants that you plan to grow through summer!
🌼 What are some of my must sows in early march?
· Tomatoes – two of my favourite varieties are ‘Costoluto Fiorentio’ (beefsteak) and ‘Clemetine’ (cherry – solanum lycopersicum)
· Basil – a must grow companion for Tomatoes, helping to deter pests and it is said to improve their flavour
· Peas – Its great to grow an early crop of peas that are ready to harvest in June, some of my favourites are a purple podded variety called ‘Blauswschokker’
· Marigolds – another must grow companion for tomatoes! They help to deter pests and are great for pollinators, in smaller spaces id opt for a French Dwarfing variety.
If you are interested in growing my must sows this March then they are all included in March’s Seedpack – available on my website, via clicking the link in my Instagram bio or by following the link below.
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For all other plants that I will be sowing in march please see the list below:
🌱 Vegetables
🌿Sow Indoors (in trays/modules or on windowsills)
- Tomatoes – Need warmth to germinate, so start in a heated propagator or on a warm windowsill.
- Peppers (Chilli & Sweet) – Require heat, best in a propagator.
- Aubergines – Long growing season, start early indoors.
- Cucumbers (Greenhouse varieties) – Start indoors for an early crop.
- Celery & Celeriac – Slow to germinate, start in trays.
- Leeks – Can be started in seed trays and moved outside later.
- Brussels Sprouts – Start indoors to plant out later.
- Broccoli (Calabrese & Purple Sprouting) – Start indoors or under cover.
- Lettuce (Early Varieties) – Start in trays under cover for transplanting.
- Herbs (Basil, Coriander, Dill, Parsley, Chives, Oregano, Thyme, Mint) – Most need warmth, start indoors.
🌿Sow Outdoors (direct in the ground or under cover)
- Broad Beans – Hardy, can be sown directly.
- Peas (Early Varieties) – Can be sown outdoors in mild weather.
- Beetroot – Can be sown outside if the soil is workable.
- Carrots (Early Varieties like ‘Nantes’) – Sow under cloches for protection.
- Radishes – Quick-growing and can be sown directly.
- Spring Onions – Hardy enough for direct sowing.
- Spinach – Can be sown directly but benefits from fleece in colder areas.
- Swiss Chard – Tolerates cold, sow directly.
- Turnips – Fast-growing, can be sown in milder weather.
🌸 Flowers
🌻Sow Indoors
- Sweet Peas – Soak seeds overnight before sowing in deep pots.
- Cosmos – Start early indoors for summer blooms.
- Marigolds – Need warmth to germinate, sow in trays.
- Lupins & Delphiniums – Start indoors for better germination.
- Sunflowers – Start indoors for early strong plants.
🪻Sow Outdoors
- Hardy Annuals (Calendula, Cornflowers, Nigella, Poppies) – Can be direct sown.
- Wildflower Mixes – Best sown early in spring.
- Sweet Peas (if not already started) – Can be direct sown in mild areas.
🌿 Other Edible Crops
- Potatoes – Start chitting (sprouting) main crop potatoes now, and plant out earlys.
- Strawberries – Can be started from runners or small plants.
If you don’t have a heated propagator, a sunny windowsill will work just fine. Keep an eye on your seedlings to ensure they don’t get leggy due to low light levels and remember to rotate them once they have germinated so all sides are getting an equal access to light.
🌼 Exciting announcement – Gardenstead, the new home for gardeners everywhere!
For a little while now I have been working with my friend Patrick (@thefrenchiegardener) on something really exciting and I’m very pleased to introduce you to Gardenstead, its a new free social media platform tailored specifically for gardeners, nature enthusiasts and just generally wholesome content.
Gardenstead has been designed to be a space to connect, share, and thrive in a vibrant community of like-minded individuals, both locally and globally, and to offer a safe and supportive alternative to some of the larger social platforms. A really nice community is begining to form on the app, and It likely already has many of your favourite garden content creators on there sharing content, but without the unsavoury policies and algorithms of other platforms.
Its now available to download on both IOS and Android, so I would love to see you all there! The app is new and we are still experiencing a couple of bugs here and there, so any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated as we continue to shape it so it’s the best it possibly can be!
To download the app simply head to your App Store and search for ‘Gardenstead’ – if you are on android there may still be an older iteration called ‘gardenstead community’ listed too, but that’s an old version and will be removed soon, so just download the one listed as ‘Gardenstead’.
Can’t wait to connect with you all there! 🌻
🌿 Garden-to-plate recipe: Spring Greens & Leek Risotto (Plant-Based, but doesn't have to be)
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 200g arborio rice
- 750ml vegetable stock (kept warm)
- 100ml white wine (optional, or replace with extra stock)
- 100g spring greens (kale, spinach, or wild garlic), chopped
- 1 small courgette, diced (I use frozen that is saved from last year)
- 1 handful fresh peas (or frozen)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (for a cheesy flavour-can be swapped out if you don’t have it)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley or basil, to garnish
Instructions:
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leek and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and arborio rice, cooking for another minute until the rice turns slightly translucent.
- Pour in the white wine (if using) and let it absorb before gradually adding warm vegetable stock, one ladle at a time. Stir frequently, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. This process takes about 20 minutes.
- When the rice is nearly cooked, stir in the spring greens, courgette, and peas. Cook for another 5 minutes until the greens are tender.
- Add the lemon zest, nutritional yeast, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and remove from heat.
- Serve warm, garnished with fresh herbs and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
🌱 Optional: Top with toasted seeds or a dollop of dairy-free pesto for extra flavour!
Enjoy this simple yet delicious way to celebrate March’s seasonal produce! 😊
🌳Community Garden Update
There are exciting things beginning to happen over on the new community garden, with the help of family and friends we have planted 400 willow tree cuttings which will be used as supports and for basketry! We also have a polytunnel arriving and being set up next week which will provide a much needed indoor growing space and somewhere to hide from the North Yorkshire weather!
We have our first volunteer and learn days coming up and I will be sharing how to get involved over the coming weeks should you want to, but pop me a quick message in the meantime if you're interested in helping out.
🌟 Looking Ahead In the next newsletter, I’ll be sharing:
- How to get your greenhouse ready for planting.
- My DIY water harvesting system.
- Exciting updates from my new Community Gardening project and how you can get involved!
As always, I’d love to hear what you’re sowing and growing this season, and any other suggestions or ideas. Leave a comment with your gardening updates!
Happy gardening,
Jamie x
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