Though March remains chilly, the return of the bright and gently warming sun wakes dormant plants and seeds from their slumber, coaxes birds out to build their nests and beckons to the insects that sheltered through winter in undergrowth, nooks and crannies to emerge and flit about in the cool sun. This is a period of preparation and renewal. The garden is stirring.
Most plants need at least 10-12 hours of light a day to grow well. As we emerge from the dark half of the year, in the days that follow Valentine’s the sun finally gives us 10 hours of light. This gradually grows to 12 as we arrive at the spring equinox on 20 March, when day and night are equal. In the garden, it is a time of ever-increasing growth.
