This Week in the Garden: March 16, 2025
Two rows of blackberries (building trellis soon) and new paths
Moving Blackberries
This past fall/winter I started the process of moving a row of blackberries four feet to the west as the plan for the area between the storage shed and raised beds took an exciting new direction (and I think it’ll be a much better use of space). The blackberries were moved to provide space for the eventual construction of a potting shed, greenhouse and pathways. This week, as the ground isn’t frozen solid, gave me the opportunity to continue the effort. A blackberry plant that overwintered in a pot was planted, I planted another recently purchased blackberry (Triple Crown), and I continued to put down mulch. The paths are still underway and I need to get the trellises built.
Planting More Green Giant Arborvitae, Roses, and Boxwoods
Two of my frequently visited sources for trees, shrubs, and other plants have started getting their first spring shipments. So, my never ending “need” for green giant arborvitae kicked in and I bought another load to continue the perimeter hedging. I love green giants - the way they look, smell, their growth rate, the list goes on. Check out on of my earlier blog posts — Plant Spotlight: Green Giant Arborvitae — for more.
The boxwoods are a continuation of the plantings I’ve been doing to create the classic low, clipped evergreen hedge in certain beds of the center garden (I need a better name for that space). They will create the front and side hedging for several beds while golden privet will create the back hedging. Here’s another plant spotlight blog post that you can check out for some more information on Golden Privets (Ligustrum ‘Vicaryi’) — Plant Spotlight: Golden Privet.
Video here: Creating a Garden | March 2025 | Planting Boxwoods, Roses, Green Giants
Daffodils!
The daffodils are popping up all around the orchard meadow, berms, and central “wild island” in the front yard. For me, they are always such a beacon of gardening hope and excitement for the coming season. More so than any other spring flower that I can think of (even if there are others that show themselves earlier). I love daffodils. And the pictures of a sea of daffodils in a lovely orchard or grassy area in England is what drove me to try and recreate that look in my own orchard. It’s still early days with the effort, but I hope that through continued bulb additions and (fingers crossed) naturalization that the orchard meadow will be absolutely flooded with daffodils every spring.
