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A Laughing ChorusOh, such a commotion under the ground When March called, "Ho, there! ho!"
Such spreading of rootlets far and wide, Such whispering to and fro;
And, "Are you ready?" the Snowdrop asked, "'Tis time to start, you know."
"Almost, my dear," the Scilla replied; "I'll follow as soon as you go."
Then, "Ha! ha! ha!" a chorus came Of laughter soft and low,
From the millions of flowers under the ground, Yes—millions—beginning to grow. Excerpt from a poem by Anonymous |
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Learning to grow food crops and save seeds are important skills for sustainable gardening. However, before you can can successfully save your seeds you will need to plan ahead and choose the correct open-pollinated crops and heirloom varieties for growing in Michigan. Join us to find out which plants are the best to grow for successful seed saving.
This is the third session in the five-part LTPL Seed School Series. |
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Lynn O'Shaughnessy will guide you through a whole new world of gardening through native plants. She will share what she has learned over the years about the benefits of native plants, how to grow them, and how to integrate them into our landscape. Lynn's outdoor space has blossomed to over an acre of gardens and a special Circle Garden made to support biodiversity and the pollinators with Michigan native plants. Lynn is also an avid nature photographer and her stunning photographs will illustrate her presentation. |
It's March! New additions are being added weekly! Check back often for best selection of new arrivals. For March, check out our wide selection of warmth-loving tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and other seeds that need to be started indoors now so they will be ready to plant outdoors in late May. Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) and greens like lettuce and kale also need to be started now to be ready to plant in the cool spring days of mid to late April. Our seed starting handout outlining what seeds to start when is available at the seed library. The LTPL Seed Library is open for business all year long with seasonally appropriate seeds added on an ongoing basis. The mission of the seed library is to promote gardening and encourage sustainability through seed saving. The seeds are available at no cost to you. Although it is not required, we hope that you will attempt to save seeds from your crops and return them to the seed library to help keep it self-sustaining. To use the seed library, simply make your selections and log your initials and number of packets taken on the clipboard. The clipboard and instructions are on top of the Seed Library cabinet.
Gardening handouts are available at the Seed Library and also on the LTPL Grows Webpage, along with informative videos! |
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In March: - Start seeds indoors for eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, celery, and parsley. Brassicas and greens that can go out as soon as mid-April should be started as well: broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce, calendula, and scallions.
- Grow your own sweet potato slips by placing organic sweet potatoes on their side, half buried in potting soil. Provide plenty of light and warmth and remove the slips at their base and root in water before planting.
- Cut down ornamental grasses and sedums and clean up around hellebores and other early perennials, weather permitting.
- Pull back mulch from areas where bulbs are trying to emerge.
- Prune fruit trees and roses. Prune summer and fall blooming trees and shrubs: shaping, thinning, and removing damaged or weak growth. Do not prune spring bloomers such as azaleas, forsythia, and lilacs until after they bloom.
- Begin fertilizing houseplants as the days grow longer
- Clean out birdhouses by removing all contents (nesting material, feces, wasp nests, insects) and disinfecting it with a birdhouse cleaner or 10% bleach solution.
- Information and online resources for starting and saving seed can be found on the LTPL Website.
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Whether for market or personal use, this book details the best storage schemes for staple garden crops. |
Practical advice on all aspects of homesteading for both rural and urban small homesteads. |
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Michigan Gardener Magazine no longer publishes a print magazine. You can still visit the Michigan Gardener website for occasional new articles and the calendar, and browse through digital back issues of the print magazine and newsletters. |
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Find more information on LTPL Grows and other resources! |
Visit and "like" for gardening news, tips and upcoming events. |
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