March Flowers to Embrace the Start of Spring

Spring is in the air, the days are getting longer and the garden is waking up. Capture the essence of spring and the promise of summer with colourful senetti, vibrant forsythias and scented cherry blossom.

After a very grey and gloomy winter, spring is finally here and it couldn't be more welcome! Spring bulbs are flowering, primroses are popping up and the first blossoms are appearing on flowering cherries, blackthorn and soft fruit trees. The weather in March is often unpredictable, so be ready with frost blankets to protect blossoms and tender new growth from late frosts.

Daffodils are the flower most associated with March, but if you want them in your garden this year, you've left it too late. Make a note in your diary to buy narcissus bulbs in late summer and plant them for next year. Fortunately, I've plenty of suggestions for perennials and shrubs you can plant now for March flowers and colour. From patio staples to shade-loving evergreens, there's something for every garden.

Senetti 'Magic Salmon'

Senetti bloom from early spring through summer, producing masses of colourful daisy-like flowers. You can get as many as 200 flowers from a single plant in a 25 cm pot! These Pericallis hybrids prefer cool temperatures and flower well before most perennials get going. They're perfect for pots or borders, and you can even grow them inside.

Senetti come in a range of eye-popping shades, but Senetti 'Magic Salmon' is one of the most beautiful flowers that grow in March. The luminous blooms start off purple, but the salmon pink centres expand as the flower opens, creating an almost magical glow. Deadhead flowers to encourage more blooms. You can also cut back the foliage back to 10–15 cm above the soil after the first flush of flowers to get a second burst later in the season.

Plant it with…

Erysimum 'Constant Cheer': This pretty wallflower will start flowering next month all the way through to October. The pink, purple and orange flowers complement the senetti's colour changing blooms, and the two look marvellous planted in neighbouring containers in a patio garden.

Hedera helix: Plant Senetti 'Magic Salmon' with a trailing ivy for a hanging basket or pot display. The ivy's dark green foliage is a beautiful contrast to the bright flowers, and it helps disguise less attractive containers. 

Viola cornuta: Winter flowering violas are great companions to senetti in containers or borders. Use their bright colours to create a harmonious display or a dramatic contrast.

Forsythia 'Lynwood'

Forsythia 'Lynwood' brings sunshine to your garden on the greyest of days. A profusion of vivid yellow flowers blankets the shrub in March and April, before the emergence of spring leaves. Once this dramatic display is over, forsythia recedes into the background, providing a green backdrop for summer and autumn flowers. Plant it at the back of a border where it can stand out in spring.

Forsythias are easy to grow, and as long as you plant them in full sun, you'll be rewarded with a bountiful display of flowers every year. Forsythia 'Lynwood' is one of the best varieties for a forsythia hedge. Plant these upright plants 45–60 cm apart and prune immediately after flowering to maintain the shape.

Plant it with…

Iris 'Burgemeister': These beautiful rose and violet-coloured flowers bloom in May and June. Like forsythia, this iris loves a sunny spot and will flower year after year.

Clematis 'Plena Elegans': Planting a late-flowering clematis with forsythia makes good use of space in small gardens. Forsythia 'Lynwood' has sturdy branches for the clematis to climb up, and as group 3 clematis are pruned to near the ground in late winter, they won't interfere with the forsythia's spring flowers and pruning requirements.

Callistemon 'Inferno': This evergreen shrub adds year-round greenery to your borders, along with dramatic red brush-shaped blooms in summer. This cultivar is hardier than others, but will need winter protection in colder areas.

Chaenomeles 'Pink Lady'

Chaenomeles 'Pink Lady' is a hardy deciduous shrub that flowers early, from March through to May, providing food for pollinators when little else is available. The stunning coral pink, cup-shaped flowers appear before the leaves and last a surprisingly long time. Chaenomeles is commonly known as the Japanese quince or flowering quince due to the yellow-green fruit that form in the autumn. The quinces aren't edible when raw, but you can pick them to use in jams and jellies.

Chaenomeles are long lived and easy to look after. They're an excellent alternative to camellias if you have neutral soil, as they bloom at a similar time. Plant Chaenomeles 'Pink Lady' at the back of a border or train it, espalier-style, up a sunny wall or fence. You can also grow this cultivar in a large container.

Plant it with…

Narcissus 'Cheerfulness': Chaenomeles look lovely underplanted with spring bulbs, and daffodils that bloom from March to May make the perfect companions. Bright yellow varieties may look a little stark against the pink flowers, but the soft yellow and white hues of this double daffodil give a more calming palette.

Nepeta 'Purrsian Blue': This sun-loving perennial blooms from May to September with clusters of small, periwinkle-blue flowers. Plant it in front of Chaenomeles 'Pink Lady' for a low-maintenance, bee-friendly border.

Escalonia 'Pink Elle': Escallonia 'Pink Elle' is a smaller variety of this evergreen shrub, which you can plant in front of Chaenomeles 'Pink Lady' for year-round colour. It produces clusters of pink flowers throughout the summer, often with a second flush in autumn.

Prunus 'Kojo-no-mai'

Flowering cherry blossoms are a true sign that spring has arrived! Prunus 'Kojo-no-mai' is an RHS-recommended compact cultivar that's perfect for small gardens, container-growing and Japanese-style gardens. The delicate, zig-zagging branches support pink buds which burst into life in March, opening to pale-pink and white flowers that give a dazzling display before the leaves form. This Fuji cherry shines again in autumn when the green leaves turn vibrant shades of orange and red.

Prunus 'Kojo-no-mai' reaches a mature height and spread of around 2.5 m, but you can prune it to a smaller, neater shape. It's fully hardy, so doesn't require winter protection, but growing it in a sheltered spot helps protect the blossoms.

Plant it with…

Hakonechloa 'Aureola': This deciduous ornamental grass has long, flowing yellow-and-green striped leaves that contrast with the upright, angular branches of the cherry tree.

Lavender 'Rosea': Underplant Prunus 'Kojo-no-mai' with this pink lavender to get delicate, scented pale-pink flowers through to the end of summer. You could also mix 'Rosea' with a classic purple lavender like 'Munstead' for brighter colour. Lavender is a hardy evergreen that keeps your garden looking full throughout the year.

Viburnum 'Charles Lamont': This deciduous shrub produces clusters of highly fragrant pink flowers from November through to March. Plant next to Prunus 'Kojo-no-mai' along a path or by a patio for an extended display of blossom-like flowers.

Pieris 'Carnaval'

Pieris (lily of the valley) shrubs are renowned for their evergreen, colour-changing foliage and decorative spring flowers. Pieris 'Carnaval' is one of the most attractive cultivars, with variegated foliage and elegant pendulous clusters of cream-coloured flowers that bloom in early spring. Young leaves emerge a vibrant red in spring, contrasting with the older cream-rimmed green leaves below.

Pieris prefer acidic, well-drained soil and partial shade, though they'll also grow well in full shade. Pieris 'Carnaval' is a compact shrub, giving you the flexibility to plant it in a container, in a small garden or as part of a larger mixed border.

Plant it with…

Rhododendron 'Cosmopolitan': Plant this fellow acid-loving shrub behind Pieris 'Carnaval' in a mixed or woodland border for brilliant blooms and contrasting foliage. Rhododendron 'Cosmopolitan' is our March flower of the month – get 25% off.

Camellia 'Miss Lyla': A perfect companion for a shaded garden, this evergreen shrub produces large, semi-double white flowers through late winter and spring. 

Bergenia 'Bressingham White': A hardy evergreen perennial that forms excellent groundcover. White flowers bloom in early spring. Also happy growing in containers, making it a good companion when planting Pieris 'Carnaval' in a pot.

FAQ

What is the March birth flower?

The daffodil is the birth flower for the month of March. These bright, cheerful spring bulbs symbolise rebirth and new beginnings. Plant a mix of yellow, orange and white varieties for a colourful vase of March flowers.

What flowers can I plant in March in the UK?

Senetti are great flowers to plant in March as they can cope with cool temperatures and give you masses of early-season flowers. You can also plant summer-flowering bulbs under cover or outside in milder parts of the UK. As the soil warms up, you can plant shrubs and perennials that flower later in the year, such as roses, hydrangeas and hostas.

What flowers are in season in March?

Primroses, senetti, winter violas and pansies all flower in March and look wonderful when planted together in containers or small borders. For showy rose-like flowers, grow camellias in borders (if you have acidic soil) or pots. Forsythias light up gardens with masses of bright yellow flowers in March, and ornamental cherries like Prunus 'Kojo-no-mai' offer delicate, pale blossoms.