How to create your own spring porch pots and other tips for mid-March gardening

The middle of March means full speed ahead when it comes to adding spring color to porch pots and patio containers. You can find pre-sprouted bulbs such as daffodils, iris and tulips at garden centers now. Surround them with pansies, primroses and other frost-tolerant bloomers.

Do not even think about planting heat-loving annuals such as geraniums or fuchsias outdoors this month. We still have lots of chilly nights ahead. Visit me on Facebook or Instagram to see my spring container gardens.

Q. What is a cool-season vegetable? I want to start a vegetable garden and I have a raised bed. — H.T., Olympia

A. Welcome to growing your own food! Cool-season vegetables are crops such as peas, radishes, lettuce, spinach and members of the cabbage family that grow best from seed when planted into cool soil. That means March is a great month to plant seeds of these crops.

A raised bed will have better drainage than a garden at ground level so you can get a bit of a head start on your crops. Follow the planting instructions on the back of each seed pack and be sure to protect your new seedlings from critters.

Q. Our lawn was damaged due to some remodeling. When is the best time to reseed? — T.T., email

A. Late March is a great time to reseed or repair an old lawn. First you will need to prepare the area by raking out moss and thatch then roughing up the soil and adding seed. Cover the new seed with peat moss kept moist, or use a seed that comes with a mulch to not only keep the soil moist but to protect the seeds from birds. Some seed companies offer lawn seed that includes fertilizer as well as mulch. Give your new seed a good month or more to sprout and mature before mowing.

Q. I dug up my dahlias in the fall. They were stored in the garage but now look like they are sprouting. Should I plant them outside? — W.G., Puyallup

A. Yes! If you have well-drained soil or a raised bed, you can plant summer flowering bulbs such as dahlias, gladiola, calla and tigridia now. Wait a few more weeks if your garden has a lot of clay soil as it may still be too wet, and cause dahlia tubers and other summer bulbs to rot.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.