Spring officially lands with us on 20th March, here's how to celebrate.
This year the Spring or vernal equinox, falls on Wednesday 20th of March. It marks the day when the Sun crosses the equator line and the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt more towards the Sun, resulting in longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures.
To celebrate, the experts at The Real Flower Co, share seven things to do and plant this Spring.
Scent Your Home with Lily of the Valley
Now is the perfect time to buy and plant Lily of the Valley ‘pips’ ready to enjoy their exceptionally fragrant blooms in May. You can order, ready to plant, Lily of the Valley bulb pots and enjoy the anticipation of the joy to come. Lily of the Valley has a scent like no other and is a favourite for Royal weddings. You can find tips for growing and arranging Lily of the Valley here.
British Sweet Pea Season is Here
For best results your sweet peas should be in the ground now, as temperatures and light levels are improving. If you would like to grow your own Sweet Peas, but are worried you have missed the boat, then you can always buy some Sweet Pea seedlings that will arrive in pots ready to be planted out once the last frost has passed.
Bird Watch
Going outside and being part of the change in light, temperature and nature is a wonderful way to celebrate the new season. Closely observing the birds in your garden or a favourite park is a great way to start. Take a moment to listen to the birdsong and watch the birds as they go about their day. The British Trust for Ornithology’s Garden Birdwatch is offering everyone free access to BTO Garden BirdWatch so that you can stay connected to nature, learn about your garden wildlife and contribute to important scientific research from the comfort of your own home or garden.
Forage or Grow Wild Garlic
Wild Garlic season begins at the end of March/early April. Wild Garlic seems to be having a moment, for good reason – it can be made into a delicious pesto, herb butter or salsa verdi and has a wealth of health benefits. Chcek out BBC’s Good Food for inspiration. If you do not have a local, abundant source you can grow your own, just plant into a large pot and you will be rewarded with your own supply to eat and enjoy later this Spring.
Celebrate with Eggs
Egg races, egg decorating and egg hunts are all traditional activities at this time of year and in the run up to Easter. Why not try the traditional Ukranian Pysanky method of decorating eggs using wax and dye. You can find a tutorial for this family friendly craft here.
Make a Spring Wreath
Welcome Spring by creating a handmade wreath to dress your door, wall or table. You can make a simple wreath with a large handful of long bendy branches such as birch, bulrush, grape vine, honeysuckle or willow. You weave the bendy branches around themselves to form a circle. You can then add more branches to create a thicker base. Add decorative items such as grasses, leaves, catkins or even flowers. If you are adding fresh elements they will go over quickly as their stems will not be in water but many flowers dry out beautifully if arranged in this way. You can either poke your decorations into the base or secure with wire.
Start off your Dahlias
You can plant your Dahlias straight into the ground once the risk of frost has passed. But for early flowers, that will keep on blooming, we recommend you plant your tubers into pots first and March is the perfect time.
