“Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade.”
~Charles Dickens (from “Great Expectations”)

MONTHLY SIGNS & SYMBOLS

FULL MOON:

“CROW MOON” & “SEED MOON”

FLOWER:

DAFFODIL

TREE:

ASH, ALDER, OAK, WEEPING WILLOW, HAZELNUT

COLOR:

BIRTHSTONE:

AQUAMARINE & BLOODSTONE

ANIMAL TOTEMS:

WOLF, FALCON & SNAKE, FOX

ASTROLOGICAL ZODIAC SIGNS:

PISCES: (FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 20)
ARIES: (MARCH 21 – APRIL 19)

PLANETS:

Neptune (Pisces)
Mars (Aries)

NATURE HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES

MARCH 3: World Wildlife Day
MARCH 11: National Johnny Appleseed Day
MARCH 12: Plant a Flower Day
MARCH 14: Daylight Saving Time begins
MARCH (mid-month): Final Frost Date (average for Pacific NW)
MARCH 18: Global Recycling Day
MARCH 20-21: Vernal Equinox
MARCH 20: World Sparrow Day
MARCH 21: International Day of Forests
MARCH 21: World Planting Day
MARCH 22: World Water Day
MARCH 23: World Meteorological Day
MARCH 25: Pecan Day
MARCH 26: National Spinach Day
MARCH 27: Earth Hour (last Saturday in March)
MARCH 28: Holi
MARCH 28: Weed Appreciation Day

THIS DAY in HISTORY

MARCH 1, 1872: CONGRESS AUTHORIZES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF “YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK”.
MARCH 1, 1961: PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ESTABLISHES THE “PEACE CORPS.”
MARCH 3, 1951: “WATCH MR. WIZARD” SHOW MAKES ITS DEBUT.
MARCH 4, 1933: FRANCES PERKINS, A KEY AUTHOR OF “NEW DEAL” LEGISLATION, BECOMES THE 1ST WOMAN TO BE APPOINTED “SECRETARY OF LABOR” BY FDR.
MARCH 10, 1971: THE U.S. SENATE APPROVES THE AMENDMENT LOWERING THE VOTER AGE TO 18 YRS. OLD.
MARCH 12, 1930: GANDHI LEADS THE 23 DAY & 240 MILE “SALT MARCH” TO THE SEA COAST NEAR DANDI.
MARCH 12, 1912: “THE GIRL SCOUTS OF AMERICA” IS FOUNDED.
MARCH 15, 1962: PRES. JOHN F. KENNEDY ADDRESSES CONGRESS ON BEHALF OF PASSING A “CONSUMER BILL OF RIGHTS”.
MARCH 19, 1918: CONGRESS APPROVES “DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME” ON THIS DAY.
MARCH 19, 1979: U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BEGINS DAILY BROADCAST OF SESSIONS.
MARCH 20, 2003 – DECEMBER 18, 2011: U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ SIGNALS THE START OF “GULF WAR II”.
MARCH 24, 1989: “THE EXXON VALDEZ ALASKAN OIL SPILL” DUMPS 750,000 BARRELS INTO PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND.
MARCH 25, 1911: 146 GARMENT WORKERS DIE IN THE “TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE” TRAGEDY.
MARCH 28, 1979: THE NUCLEAR REACTOR DISASTER OF THREE MILE ISLAND, PENNSYLVANIA OCCURS ON THIS DAY.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

*HARRY BELAFONTE (BORN MARCH 1, 1927)
—-SINGER / SONGWRITER, ACTIVIST, ACTOR
*THEODORE “DR. SEUSS” GEISEL (MARCH 2, 1904 – SEPT. 24, 1991)
—-CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR / ARTIST
*MIRIAM MAKEBA (MARCH 4, 1932 – NOVEMBER 9, 2008)
—-SINGER, SONGWRITER, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR
*TOWNES VAN ZANDT (MARCH 7, 1944 – JANUARY 1, 1997)
—-FOLK SINGER / SONGWRITER
*FATHER JAMES RENSHAW COX (MARCH 7, 1886 – MARCH 20, 1951)
—-PRIEST, WORKER’S RIGHTS / LABOR LEADER
*BOBBY FISCHER (MARCH 9, 1943 – JANUARY 17, 2008)
—-CHESS GRANDMASTER WORLD CHESS CHAMPION
*DR. RALPH DAVID ABERNATHY (MARCH 11, 1926 – APRIL 17, 1990)
—-CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, MINISTER
*JACK KEROUAC (MARCH 12, 1922 – OCTOBER 21, 1969)
—-“BEAT GENERATION” POET / NOVELIST
*ALBERT EINSTEIN (MARCH 14, 1879 – APRIL 18, 1955)
—-THEORETICAL PHYSICIST (DEVELOPED THE “THEORY OF RELATIVITY”)
*RUTH BADER GINSBURG (BORN MARCH 15, 1933)
—-U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
*NAT “KING” COLE (MARCH 17, 1919 – FEBRUARY 15, 1965)
—-JAZZ SINGER / PIANIST / SONGWRITER
*BAYARD RUSTIN (MARCH 17, 1912 – AUGUST 24, 1987)
—-CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST / ORGANIZER / STRATEGIST
*WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN (MARCH 19, 1860 – JULY 26, 1925)
—-AMERICAN POLITICIAN, ATTORNEY
*FRED ROGERS (MARCH 20, 1928 – FEBRUARY 27, 2003)
—-CHILDREN’S TV SHOW HOST, EDUCATOR, MINISTER (“MR. ROGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD”)
*SPIKE LEE (BORN MARCH 20, 1957)
—-FILMMAKER / DIRECTOR
*SON HOUSE (MARCH 21, 1902 – OCTOBER 19, 1988)
—-DELTA BLUES SINGER / SONGWRITER
*JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (MARCH 21, 1685 – JULY 28, 1750)
—-CLASSICAL COMPOSER / MUSICIAN
*CHICO MARX (MARCH 22, 1887 – OCTOBER 11, 1961)
—-VAUDEVILLE / FILM ACTOR, PIANIST (“MARX BROTHERS”)
*MARCEL MARCEAU (MARCH 22, 1923 – SEPTEMBER 22, 2007)
—-FRENCH MIME PERFORMANCE ARTIST
*CHAKA KHAN (born MARCH 23, 1953)
—-R&B / SOUL / POP SINGER, SONGWRITER
*HARRY HOUDINI (MARCH 24, 1874 – OCTOBER 31, 1926)
—-ESCAPE ARTIST / PERFORMER
*DARIO FO (BORN MARCH 24, 1926)
—-PLAYWRIGHT, DIRECTOR, ACTOR, COMPOSER
*STEVE MCQUEEN (MARCH 24, 1930 – NOVEMBER 7, 1980)
—-FILM ACTOR
*ARETHA FRANKLIN (MARCH 25, 1942 – AUGUST 16, 2018)
—-R&B SINGER / PIANIST / SONGWRITER, ACTIVIST
*GLORIA STEINEM (born MARCH 25, 1934)
—-FEMINIST MOVEMENT LEADER, JOURNALIST, CO-FOUNDER OF “MS.” MAGAZINE
*ROBERT FROST (MARCH 26, 1874 – JANUARY 29, 1963)
—-AMERICAN POET
*LEONARD NIMOY (MARCH 26, 1931 – FEBRUARY 27, 2015)
—-TV / FILM ACTOR (“MR. SPOCK” FROM “STAR TREK”)
*VINCENT VAN GOGH (MARCH 30, 1853 – JULY 29, 1890)
—-PAINTER / ARTIST
*RENE DESCARTE (MARCH 31, 1596 – FEBRUARY 11, 1650)
—-FRENCH PHILOSOPHER
*JACK JOHNSON (MARCH 31, 1878 – JUNE 10, 1946)
—-BOXER, WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
*CESAR CHAVEZ (MARCH 31, 1927 – APRIL 23, 1993)
—-LABOR LEADER, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

FACTS & TRIVIA for MARCH

MARCH IS NAMED FOR “MARS”, THE ROMAN GOD OF WAR.
MARCH 21 IS “WORLD METEOROLOGICAL DAY”
MARCH 21 IS “WORLD POETRY DAY”.

HOME & GARDEN

Add ORGANIC FERTILIZERS to deciduous TREES and SHRUBS.
Once passed FINAL FROST date (mid-March), it’s time to address WINTER DAMAGE to LAWNS. Rake in 0.5“ – 1” of MULCH, OVERSEED and apply ORGANIC FERTILIZERS, amendments. Weed, thatch & aerate, as needed.
Get the jump on WEEDS before they seed.
Good time to plant seasonal ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, BIENNIALS, BULBS and TUBERS.
Fertilize, rotate, mist, water & pinch back old growth of INDOOR PLANTS.
Prune & fertilize ROSES. Add 3” layer of MULCH to rose beds.
Wrap up pruning of FLOWERING, DECIDUOUS & FRUIT TREES.
Scrub slippery STEPS & WALKWAYS with bleach water and/or PRESSURE WASH.
Summer flowering PERENNIALS can be divided & transplanted early this month (daisies, daylilies, hostas, iris, phlox, etc.).
Stir COMPOST BINS.
Get VEGETABLE GARDEN beds prepped & ready! PLANT: Asparagus, strawberries, artichoke, onions, garlic, peas, cabbage, potato, thyme, mint, rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley. SOW (in ground): radish, spinach, arugula, chard, fennel, cauliflower, turnips, spinach. SEED STARTS (indoors): tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, sunflower, celery, cucumber, squash