March 2025
The Garden Journal
March 2025
“Anyone who has time for drama is not gardening enough.”
Unknown source.
March: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb
We’re off to the Races!!!! March truly feels like opening day for Garden Season, and here in the PNW, March is a great time to start seeds in earnest indoors, and plant those crops outside that can handle cooler temps. I’m looking at you, onion starts, potatoes, and cold-hardy greens like spinach, kale, broccoli, as well as snow peas. If you haven’t yet direct sown your poppies, Larkspur, Bupleurum, bachelor buttons, Nigella, get out there and start sprinkling away! Gone are the days of waiting for the right temps, and the perfect Garden days, these babes prefer the cold and the wet, and your efforts will be rewarded with early blooms and tasty eats. Except for onions and potatoes, as those take a bit longer - don’t delay getting them in! We’ve got Ailsa Craig onion bundles for you, certified organic, and are hoping to be your go-to source for these, as well as start to offer more things if we can get enough interested folks coming out our way.
Since I often feel like a broken record with my repetitive reminders and ever searching for original ways to present things, I’m looking forward to the “freshness” and “newness” of Spring. I suppose, as a full-fledged Gardener, I truly consider this time of year to be my “New Year” with all the dreams, hopes, promises, and resolutions of what I want to accomplish in the Garden. Really, this is the time when your plans start to come to fruition. To that end, don’t be shy about being perfect, or needing something to be “ready” before you plant. I hear that so much it’s surprising to me. I find plants to be both incredibly forgiving, and humbling. Forgiving in that, they often surprise us with how little they need in the way of things we think they do (fancy, raised beds; perfection in the way of pristine Grade-A compost) and humbling in that, despite your best efforts, not all of them will make it. It’s in these moments, of doing, and watching, and hopefully learning, that we become Gardeners.
I’m starting to lean into some of my Horticulture studies to provide fodder for articles, as I have a wealth of information at my fingertips to share. Forgive me if things get a bit too Science-y, but I’m hoping this information will give a bit more depth to those that want knowledge that has deeper roots. I’ll do my best to explain things in laymen terms, as I find that’s a bit more palatable than the stuff I had to wade through, but you are always welcome to reach out with questions if any arise. Sometimes, when I’m trying to be succinct, I can leave out pertinent information, and that’s not always helpful to everyone.
March in the Garden should be a beautiful time, with buds swelling, and early blooms and leaves unfurling gently, and cautiously. Do spend some time, walking about, and noticing the life spring forth. It’s quite a show, and you get a front row seat to this magical moment, that only happens but once a year.
In this Newsletter
- Soil Series: What is Soil?
- Weed Control: Pesticide Free
- Poa pratensis
- Plant of the Month: Peas - Edible, and No Way!
- Garden Update
- Articles of Interest
- Garden Walks with Amy
- Mark Your Calendars: September 20th
- It’s Easy Being Green
- The Garden Shop: A Special Announcement!
- March Garden Tasks
Soil Series: What is Soil?
One of the things I found most interesting in my Horticulture studies was actually in a World History class. What does World History have to do with Horticulture, you ask? It turns out, quite a bit. (We could have lengthy discussions about geopolitical events, economics, law, culture or pick any other topic relating to History and it could be a good time.) But what I didn’t know, and learned, was that most major civilizations, throughout time, have eventually failed in part because of Soil. It is well-known (hopefully) by now that a country’s soil quality plays a significant role in its overall prosperity, and longevity. Why am I talking about world history in the context of soil?!? Simple: Soil matters. It is directly tied to a region’s ability to grow products that become food, fiber, fodder, or even part of the tech and manufacturing chain.
Here’s a really quick and simplified run-down of some places impacted by poor soil management:
Maya Civilization - severe land degradation, deforestation and erosion are hypotheses put forth to explain the decline, which led to other major disruptions of warfare and death from diseases brought by invaders and colonizers.
Ancient Egypt - a confluence of drought, which caused nutrient levels in surrounding soils to be depleted, leading to food shortages, thus economic crisis and threats from foreign invaders.
Roman Empire - what happens when major deforestation meets overgrazing of land, intensive farming and climate change? The fall of the Roman Empire.
Soil is a plant-supporting system that is made up of living, and non-living matter, and is considered its own ecosystem. Soil consists of disintegrated rock, organic matter, air, gases and nutrients. Also within soil are dead and living microorganisms, decaying material and all of the living organisms that benefit from, and in turn, benefit soil, such as bacteria, algae, earthworms, insects and other animals.
A soil profile is made up of Horizons, which are each layer of the soil. If you took a deep enough plug out of the ground, you would be able to visually see each separate layer by type of material, color, water solubility, etc. Here is a simplified version of what soil profiles are, which can have 6, or more, layers:
O Horizon: O stands for Organic layer, and this is the leaf litter, leaf mold, detritus and debris from plants that will be degraded over time
A Horizon: Topsoil, the inorganic and organic material that is the most nutrative dense for plants
E Horizon: E stands for Eluviated, or leaching layer where dissolved particles move downwards
B Horizon: Subsoil
C Horizon: Weathered parent material
R Horizon: R stands for Rock, or parent material
The factors that help form soils are varied, and region, or even area, specific. In the PNW, Glacial till is a common Parent material. Other factors are Climate, which include temperature and precipitation patterns; the organisms that inhabit that area; topography, which directs water flow; and time, in millions of years down to decades. Erosion is obviously a concern with soil, as erosive events, such as the Dust Bowl in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were hugely catastrophic to areas of the US. A drought in the 1930’s compounded the issues. This major event led to the creation of the Soil Conservation Service in 1935.
The phrase “older than dirt” is a figurative comparison to something extremely old, such as the Earth itself, as soils have existed for a very long time. Obviously a simplistic explanation of the complexity and longevity of actual soil, the phrase is used to describe something very old. Deserving of respect is what I would prefer.
Next month, I will discuss soils as they relate to plant nutrition specifically.
Weed Control
Pesticide-Free
Neonics is an industry term that is short for Neonicotinoids, a mouthful of a word to say. So what are they? A systemic pesticide that get absorbed throughout the plant, and are toxic to insects. When insects eat the treated plant(s), they bind to nerve cell receptors and cause paralysis and death. It was originally thought that neonics were “relatively safe” but are now known to affect humans, particularly children, they can contaminate surface water, and have been banned in the EU, for the harm they are known to be to pollinators, especially bees. Washington state is part of the trend of restricting these pesticides for use, with law taking effect January 1, 2026. Common products that contain neon’s are insect sprays, seed treatments, soil drenches, tree injections and veterinary ointments used to control fleas in dogs and cats.
Laughing Goat does not use any products that contain Neonicotinoids on our property, for the safety of our bee and insect population, the animals, and the humans that tread softly on our soils.
Poa pratensis
If you build it, they will come
In this case, plant it.
Poa pratensis. Aka Kentucky bluebrass, smooth meadow-grass, or common meadow-grass.
Native to Europe, North Asian and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Not Kentucky. Not North America even. Yet, we plant it in bulk, dedicating entire landscapes, and yards to it.
Legend has it that when early settlers looked out on the fields of Poa pratensis in Central Kentucky, the seed heads took on a purplish hue. In the sun, it looked blue-green. Hence, the name bluegrass was born.
However, you plant this, as most developers do around housing developments, particularly in water cachement areas, you are almost certainly going to attract Branta canadensis, or Canada goose. Canada geese prefer P. pratensis over other grasses, as it provides protein and has low levels of ADF (acid detergent fiber) and they will selectively choose it over other grasses when given the choice.
We have inadvertently created an issue. Every time I see a new development go in, and those big rolls of turf grass get rolled out, I know the geese are coming. They don't like us. They poop everywhere. They amble slowly across the road willy nilly, slowing down cars. Maybe the last one isn't so bad.
The other issue is that P. pratensis, as a non-native grass, and a rhizomatous one (you maybe know how I feel about rhizome spreading grasses) that has the ability to outcompete native grasses and plants, so is considered invasive in native habitats and natural ecosystems for this reason. By reducing plant biodiversity, it disrupts the natural food web chain, other than being a source for those grubs your raccoons and other yard pets like to dig up and make a mess. It does not provide forage for browsing animals, other than the aforementioned geese. (Did I mention they really don't like us) Lastly, it is high-intensity input necessary, as in, needs a lot of fertilizer, frequent mowing, and most importantly, heavy watering during our dry season, to keep it looking nice.
With so many amazing plants, and planting options, and design choices out there, maybe it's time to rethink grass on such a large scale or as the default.
Plant of the Month: Peas Please!
All members of the Fabaceae family, or Legumes, share some distinct and interesting traits. As a large and agriculturally valuable family, it’s a good one to know. Whether you’re into Gardening for foods to prepare in your kitchen, and share with loved ones, or you tend to a bountiful Garden of ornamental plants, chances, are, you’ve got a Legume, Pea, or Bean plant hanging out somewhere.
Gardens
Albizia julibrissin - Mimosa Tree
Cercis canadensis - Eastern redbud
Cystitis scoparius - Scotch broom widely considered a weed
Gleditsia triacanthos - honey locust
Laburnum sp. - golden chain tree
*Lupinus sp. - Lupines
Mimosa pudico - Sensitive plant
Robinia pseudoacacia - black locust
Wisteria sp.
Vegetable Beds
Arachis hypogea - peanuts
Alfalfa, Crimson clover, red clover - used as cover crops
Beans: black, pinto, lima, soy, etc.
Pulses: garbanzo beans, split peas, lentils
Flower Friends
*Lathyrus odoratus - sweet pea
*All plants with an asterisk are considered highly toxic to humans, and to some animals. It is always important to do research before feeding things in your Garden to fellow humans, and animals.
Interesting Facts about Fabaceae
🫘3rd largest plant family in the world, after Orchids, and Aster Families; and includes trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs.
🫛With about 670 genera there are about 20,000 species of trees, shrubs, vines and herbs.
🫘Members of this family are generally characterized by compound leaves, and production of fruits known as legumes.
🫛Often form symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria.
🫘Some Gardeners believe that every Garden border, or bed, should have a member of this family for it’s nitrogen-fixing abilities, to help enrich the soils for all the plants.
🫛The next time you pull hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) take a close look at the roots to see if you can find small, white nodules attached. If so, those are nitrogen fixing rhizobia bacteria. These bacteria have heme, the same protein that is in our blood, and if you squish them, you’ll notice a slight pink to red color once exposed to oxygen!
🫘North Dakota produces 1/3 of beans grown in the U.S.
🫛Clarence Birdseye invented the “plate froster” in the1920’s and froze the first peas. After a trip to Northern Canada, and seeing how the Inuit used ice, wind and temperature to freeze just caught fish, he applied the method to other foods.
🫘In ancient Greece, public officials were elected by beans. This is the origin of the term “bean counter” as it was an extreme honor to be chosen as the bean counter in an election.
🫛Peas are nutritious, and high in fiber, which aids in digestion. They also have a low glycemic index, so help to control blood sugar making them a great, crunchy snack! As well, a good source of B vitamins - so grow some Peas!
Garden Project Updates
I'd love to give a quick update on what's going on with the Gardens, as I've had a few questions.
This is prompted by a recent walk with a dear friend, who looked at me and said "you and Steve like to take on BIG projects" and I realized, yes, yes we do.
Our life has felt like an endless stream of one or more BIG projects going on at any given time, and while it can be exciting, exhilarating, it can also come with stress, uncertainty, and apprehension. Are we doing too much? Will this ever get done? When is that contractor coming out again? Can you order more top soil for the 5th time this week...? We spend a ridiculous amount of money on dirt.
THE GARDENS
Bit of a setback with this cold winter weather, that hasn't allowed me to finish a couple fall/winter tasks I needed to catch up on. I couldn't put some new plants that arrived in the frozen ground. Weeding was halted momentarily. Will commence again when soil conditions allow me to work. Ground cannot be frozen and/or too saturated.
THE ORCHARD
Steve started working on this last Fall, but had to stop due to overly saturated soils that wouldn't allow equipment to work the ground. The Orchard is the area beyond the English Border Garden that formerly housed 440 Peony Plants, which all got moved a few years back to make space for this project. The Yew Border is now complete, the drainage issues have been hopefully remediated by adding French drains, much gravel, and raising the area with soils. Next phase is to grid out the vast area, and come up with a plan, buy trees and plant!
FOUNTAIN DANCE ENTRY
These gardens need to be refreshed with new top soil, compost, much weeding, and filling in with plants. It will be a very busy late winter - early Spring.
YEW HEDGING
We brought in 100 Yews to add to our Borders, and I believe we still need about 100 or so more. We split up the order so we weren't holding them unnecessarily, a good move given the recent freezing temps, and these come in bare root. Steve has to heel them in with compost to protect the root balls until they get planted. It's an added step, but much needed to keep the plants safe this time of year. Again, a balancing act with weather, and time.
PROJECTS NOT COMPLETE
Pond Planting
Rock Wall installed around the Vista Garden and Arches
English Border cleared, scraped, new compost brought in, and layout created with Yew Entries. Big Project
Vista Garden - almost completed, but still some planting to be done, with plants that were not available last season.
Wedding Garden - started, but nowhere near complete.
Walkway to Wedding - not started yet
Potager Garden - formerly called Raised Bed Garden, this is adjacent to our Greenhouse and Barn, and where we grow the bulk of our vegetables and herbs on site.
I will also be starting thousands of plants from seed in the upcoming 3 months, to plant out. I've decided not to sell tomato plants this season. I simple have too much going on (see above list) and frankly, it's a huge investment of time and energy on my part. I really need to dig in and focus on the tasks at hand so I can get some things completed, for my own sanity.
I have so many plans and dreams to bring a truly magical and unique European Garden experience to the PNW, and I love you coming along with us, so thank you for you interest, enthusiasm and always, understanding.
There will be events popping up, the newsletter and website are your BEST sources for up to date, accurate, and timely information on how to participate so you don't miss out.
Articles of Interest
Ask an Expert: Fabulous Fabaceae!
Society of Garden Designers Awards 2025
The Tree Collectors, Tales of Arboreal Obsession with Amy Stewart
Meet the Young Generation of Gardeners making Gardening Cool
Best Plants to Grow on Balconies
By Going Outside, you can bust stress, boost mood and support your mental health
Garden Walks with Amy
Come Walk with me!
Starting in May, and going through September, October TBD*, I will lead a one-hour Garden Walk through our property, highlighting what is in bloom, about to bloom, and include any projects, and jobs in the works. This will be a great opportunity to have one-on-one time in a tangible, and beautiful setting, to ask Gardening questions in person, get plant names (make sure you write them down!) and pick Amy’s brain.
While the Garden Walk itself is limited to 1-hour, you may spend additional time in the Gardens at your leisure after the Walk is over, with the exception of any Garden sections that may be closed for projects and plant protection.
I prefer to keep groups like this on the smaller size, so that everyone feels included, and it’s easier to hear and stay together, to get as much out of our time together. With that in mind, when you sign-up, your fee is non-refundable as that enrollment is holding your space. You may transfer your spot in the event you are unable to make it, but we do not issue refunds for our events. In the event we have to cancel for unforeseen reasons, we will issue refunds or offer another, equally valuable opportunity. Garden walks will be held regardless of weather, so attendees should dress appropriately for being outside, rain or shine.
Here’s what you may see in the Gardens, depending on the month. Keep in mind, I do not ever guarantee bloom cycles, hopefully for obvious reasons, so this may or may not be accurate, depending on weather, climate, etc.
May: Lilacs, Bearded Iris, Early Peonies, late season Tulips, etc.
June: mid- to late-season Peonies, Roses, Bearded Iris, early Perennials, etc.
*July: Roses, Perennials, Annuals starting, some Dahlias, etc. (FULL)
August: Roses, Dahlias, Perennials, Grasses, Annuals (NO peonies)
September: Everything, NO peonies
October: Time will tell…
A Few FAQ’s on Visiting:
- Are children allowed? With a ticket, yes. We are not offering children’s pricing on tickets for this particular event, so a child would need to have the same ticket purchased as an adult.
- Are pets allowed? For the safety and comfort of all participants, as well as respect for the comfort of our property pets, we do not allow outside pets in the Gardens. The only exception would be a certified and trained Service Dog, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and you are responsible for keeping a trained Service Dog leashed at all times.
- Can I photograph or paint in the Gardens? Of course! We encourage each person to enjoy the Gardens in the way that is unique to them. We do ask that you be respectful of our Garden beds and borders, and strictly keep feet and body to paths, and out of planted areas. This goes for everyone enjoying the Gardens.
- May I bring a picnic or lunch to enjoy in the Gardens? Absolutely yes, as long as you are respectful of the Garden spaces, and remain to grass, paths, etc. and stay out of borders, beds and planted areas. We do ask that you pick up and remove from the premises all your trash and recyclables, as we do not have a service for recycling.
- A few things to kindly remember:
- There is no Smoking, Vaping, or Chewing of any substance, regardless of what it is on the property. This includes any tobacco products, marijuana, etc., and is for the entirety of the property, including our parking areas.
- We do not allow balloons, plastic straws, or plastic bags on site. If you require a drinking straw, we ask that you use paper, or we have metal and glass straws available for purchase in The Garden Shop.
Mark Your Calendars: September 20th
Details are being gathered for our upcoming Workshop with TJ McGrath, of TJ McGrath Design in New Jersey. He’s coming all the way out West to Flower with us in our Gardens, and we are so excited to have secured this very special engagement. TJ regularly hosts workshops at the famed Jardine de Buis in New Jersey, and is a featured speaker for Garden Clubs across the U.S.
My goal is to offer at least one Floral Extravaganza event each year, and September is simply one of the most beautiful times. We will be using exclusively locally grown product, including from our own Gardens, to create stunning and sustainable arrangements using TJ’s tips, techniques, and artistry. As a professional florist who fills upscale clients homes with beauty on a weekly basis, TJ has an ethos grounded in Sustainability, ethical sourcing and creating a floral impact with only locally-sourced, thus Seasonal, plant material. If you are wanting to learn how to design with locally grown flowers that Sing, this is the Workshop for you!
Workshop will be held Saturday, September 20th, with details and enrollment information to come. We are working hard to keep workshops affordable so that the majority may attend, and appreciate your support, as we rely on enrollments to help balance out the costs.
It’s Easy Being Green
Eating well, and healthfully, goes part and parcel with Gardening, for me. Did you know growing our own food was the main catalyst for my foray into Gardening? I had relatively little interest in growing flowers as cuts (as a business) and really didn’t even have visiting Gardens and Botanical pursuits on my radar. I wanted to grow nutritious, delicious, and seasonally available vegetables, herbs and fruits for our table. The origin of that is a story for another day.
It’s why I always kind of chuckle to myself when some Gardeners declare people who share food pics, etc., to not be welcome in their groups as “real” Gardeners. This to me is the same when the Argentine Tango or West Coast Swing folks would say “Ballroom Dancers” aren’t “real” Dancers. Sigh. I may have traded my dance shoes for garden clogs, but can’t seem to shake off narrow-minded thinkers. Can’t we just all get along? Can’t we appreciate that growing food requires a level of expertise, passion, and gumption that deserves merit, as much as someone who loves Dahlias, Begonias, or Trees? There is room for us all in the Garden, as evidenced by TJ Maher of Patthana Garden stunning use of Rainbow Chard in his bountiful borders full of color, texture and life. My March Motto is to be Open-Minded, and see the Beauty and Magic in everything.
To that end, my recipe this month centers on Kale. Not always the sexiest, or most well-loved, in fact often reviled, of Garden vegetables, I’m always championing this underdog. Why Kale? It grows so well in our region. In fact, I find Kale and Cabbage to be the hardest working Brassicas, along with easy-to-grow Radishes. I love the way they look in both Vegetable plots as well as in Ornamental Garden beds, and I think they add a playful, unexpected twist. You’ll often find me tucking Kale and Cabbage into garden beds when I have extra plants that won’t fit in my Potager.
So, if you are like my Steve, not a fan of Kale, this recipe is definitely one you should try. Admittedly, I didn’t inform him he was eating Kale until he tried it. It was easy to be sneaky. Only once he ate some, and admitted it was good, then did I tell him what it was. So, for March, the month of Green and Gardening, as well as St. Patrick’s Day, try this dish which will absolutely punch up your table and life with color.
And, if you want a little extra Green/Protein, add some Peas!
Snapdragon ‘Orange Wonder” and Nature Antique Shades Viola will be available for purchase.
The Garden Shop
Upcoming Garden Shop Dates/Hours
At this point, I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of Highlander Delphiniums, Ailsa Craig Onions, and several other goodies I ordered, which will be made available to you once in hand. This includes Callicarpa, Ilex verticillata, Achillea. Pansies have landed and are available NOW. It looks like the rest will all be landing in March, at various stages. As stated previously, the very popular and beautiful Highlander Delphiniums will be made available first to our Guests who shopped Bulbs with us, as a Thank You to your support for our little Garden Shop. Please drop me a line if you are a Tulip bulb shopper IN STORE, so that I can include you in that list.
And now, an exciting announcement:
As a way of saying Thank You to all our loyal Visitors, Guests, and Friends, I’m doing a drawing for 4 people to have lunch, with me, in the Garden, in June. I can’t wait to host you, as I love planning, preparing and serving a beautiful meal to share with friends. All you need to do is each time you Support our Shop, and spend $40, you will get an entry form to fill out and put in our Drawing. So, for each $40 that’s one drawing slip. There’s absolutely no limit to number of entries you can have. We will draw the 4 Guests at the end of our Open Shop Day, on Saturday, May 10th. You do not need to present to be selected, and all Guests whose names are chosen will be contacted. If a Guest’s name is pulled more than once, they will be given the option to invite a guest to join them, and in the event they do not want to extend the offer, another Guest’s name will be chosen from the drawing.
Lunch will be seasonal, focusing on fresh, available ingredients. While I do not maintain a gluten-free kitchen, and thus cannot accommodate strictly GF Guests, if there are any severe food allergies, each Guest chosen is responsible for letting me know that well in advance, as I cannot be held responsible for any potential allergens if not known.
*As a disclaimer, this drawing is not eligible to enter through buying tickets, that is a raffle and is considered gambling in the state of Washington. These drawing slips have no cash value, and cannot be used in any way other than accepting or declining the Lunch invitation. In the event you cannot join us for lunch, you may send someone on your behalf, but there is no cash value, and may not be exchanged for goods, services, or any other offerings.
The Garden Shop is still Closed for the Season - we will reopen again in the Spring, when we have Tulips and other Blooms available. We do occasionally offer up brief pop-up openings, either as plants arrive, or Guests ask to stop by. At this time, our scheduled opening will be Saturday, April 5th. Hours are from 10am - 2pm, and we plan to open each Saturday in April, and the first 2 Saturday’s in May, the same hours. We will be closed the last 2 weeks of May for personal matters, and will reopen again end of May - June for our annual Peony Events. I will always open the Shop by appointment for Guests that would like to visit
As always, our online Shop is year-round, so if you are looking for the perfect Host/Hostess Gift, Holiday gifts, or just something for yourself, please check out our online Shop:
March Garden Tasks
-
- March 8: Creating a Fantasy Garden with Justin Henderson, Lakewold Gardens: Lakewold Events
- March 12: Plant a Flower🌷 Day
- March 14: Learn about 🦋 Day
- March 15: Edible Plant Sale,Tilth Alliance at Rainier Urban Farm & Wetlands
- March 17: St. Patrick’s Day ☘️
- March 20: Spring Equinox: 1st official day of Spring
- March 26: National Spinach Day 🥬
- Early March is time to plant onions, we have Ailsa Craig starts arriving soon. I typically aim for March 1st, so start getting your onion bed(s) ready by weeding, then amending with compost and chicken manure.
- Start pulling Dahlia tubers out to “wake up” for planting
- Plant seed Potatoes, they need to be cut up and “cured” before planting.
- Plant Snow Peas.
- Sow seeds in earnest.
- Tidy up your Garden areas: dispose of broken/damaged items, sharpen cutting implements, assess what you’ll need for the season
- Check your Rhubarb, especially if you are forcing it
- Start/continue Weeding.
- Order and Stock up on Compost, Mulch, etc.
- Order and Plant Summer Flowering Bulbs.
- Build growing structures for climbing vines and plants.
- Gently lift, divide and replant large clumps of winter aconites and snowdrops.
- Define turf edges by using a half moon or spade to cut a clean line between garden borders and lawn.
- Past Newsletter Access Here: