March is the perfect time to start planting flowers in your garden to ensure a colorful spring display. As winter fades away, the soil begins to warm up, creating ideal conditions for many flower varieties to take root and flourish. By planting the right flowers in March, you can enjoy vibrant blooms throughout spring and even into summer.
You don’t need to be an expert gardener to create a beautiful flower garden this month. From cold-resistant pansies and violas to classic primroses and early-blooming cosmos, there are plenty of options to choose from. These March plantings will reward you with a rainbow of colors and shapes that transform your outdoor space and welcome the new season.
In this article, we'll cover
1. Pansies
Pansies are perfect for early spring planting in March. These cheerful flowers grow 6-8 inches tall and offer bright pops of color when not much else is blooming.
They don’t mind a little cold or even light snow, making them ideal for your early spring garden. You can plant pansies in beds or pots for instant color.
Remember that pansies prefer cool weather and won’t thrive in summer heat. For best results, plant them in areas that get morning sun but afternoon shade.
2. Marigolds
Marigolds are a top choice for March planting. Their bright orange and yellow blooms will add cheerful color to your garden.
These hardy flowers are easy to grow from seeds and will bloom throughout summer. You can start them indoors or sow directly in your garden after the last frost.
Marigolds aren’t just pretty – they help your vegetable garden too! Their strong scent repels pests like squash bugs, thrips, and tomato hornworms.
3. Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are perfect flowers to plant in March for a beautiful spring garden. They come in many colors like red, pink, blue, purple, and white.
These annual plants love full sun and rich, humusy soil. Varieties like Cupani, America, and Painted Lady make excellent garden plants.
Sweet peas offer amazing fragrance and one of the widest color ranges you’ll find. You can enjoy their lovely scent and bright colors throughout the spring season.
4. Petunias
Petunias are perfect for adding bright colors to your spring garden. These popular flowers come in many shades including purple, pink, white, and red.
Petunias need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily to produce their best blooms. You can plant them in containers or garden beds for instant color.
They’re quite vigorous and will continue flowering throughout most of summer. Petunias are a great choice if you want long-lasting color in your garden.
5. Snapdragons
Snapdragons are cool-season flowers that add a splash of color to your early spring garden. You can plant these beginner-friendly blooms in March for stunning results.
They grow best in full sun and well-draining soil. While they can handle partial shade, they’ll produce fewer blooms without enough light.
Try different varieties to create a rainbow of colors in your garden. Snapdragons make excellent cut flowers, bringing their beauty from your garden into your home.
6. Ranunculus
Ranunculus flowers bring stunning, rose-like blooms to your spring garden. These beauties prefer full sun, needing at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily.
Plant the claw-like corms about 2 inches deep and 4 inches apart, with the “claws” facing downward. A single corm can produce up to 30 gorgeous blooms!
For better growing conditions, you might consider planting them in a hoop house or greenhouse-like structure. This gives you more control over their environment.
7. Primroses
Primroses are one of the earliest flowers to bloom in spring, making them perfect for your March garden. They come in vibrant colors like pink, purple, red, and yellow that can brighten up any space.
These hardy flowers thrive in cool temperatures and prefer partial shade. You’ll find they do well in average soil without needing extra watering.
Plant primroses in your garden now, and you’ll enjoy their cheerful blooms as winter fades away. They’ll often return year after year with minimal care.
8. Violas
Violas are cheerful flowers that bring vibrant colors to your early spring garden. They look like smaller versions of pansies with delicate blooms in purple, yellow, white, and blue.
Plant violas in March for a beautiful display that lasts through spring. They prefer full sun but can tolerate partial shade, making them versatile for different garden spots.
These hardy flowers perform best when planted before hot weather arrives. You’ll enjoy their perky blooms during cool seasons, though they may slow down when summer heat intensifies.
9. Daffodils
Daffodils are perfect spring flowers to plant in March. These cheerful yellow blooms will brighten up your garden with minimal effort on your part.
They come in many varieties, from classic yellow trumpets to versions with white petals and orange centers. You can find options to suit any garden style.
Daffodils are also great because deer and rodents avoid them. Plant the bulbs in well-draining soil where they’ll get plenty of sunshine for the best results.
10. Tulips
Tulips are classic spring flowers that add vibrant colors to your garden. You can plant tulip bulbs in March for beautiful blooms later in the season.
They come in many colors including red, yellow, pink, purple, and white. Some popular varieties include Darwin tulips and species tulips.
Species tulips are more likely to return year after year. Darwin and viridiflora types can also last several seasons with proper care.
Consider planting companions like salvia, coneflower, or bee balm alongside your tulips. These plants start to emerge just as tulips bloom.
11. Hyacinths
Hyacinths bring a burst of color and amazing fragrance to your spring garden. These beautiful bulbs typically bloom in early to mid-spring, making March the perfect time to plant them.
You’ll want to place hyacinth bulbs in well-drained soil. If your garden has heavy soil, try mixing in some sharp sand to improve drainage.
After they finish blooming, cut off the spent flowers but let the foliage die back naturally. This helps the bulbs store energy for next year’s beautiful display.
12. Delphiniums
Delphiniums are stunning cottage garden classics that create tall, colorful spikes in your garden. These elegant perennials come in various shades of blue, purple, pink, and white, making them perfect for adding vertical interest.
Plant delphinium seeds in March for blooms later in the season. They thrive in moist soil and prefer full sun to partial shade conditions.
Pair your delphiniums with roses, foxgloves, or hollyhocks for a beautiful cottage garden look. They make excellent cut flowers too, bringing their dazzling colors indoors.
13. Sunflowers
Sunflowers are one of the easiest annual flowers to grow from seed in March. They bring bright colors to your garden in summer and fall.
You can find sunflowers in classic gold and yellow shades, but newer varieties come in different colors too.
They grow quickly and can be planted directly in garden beds or containers. Just scatter the seeds in a sunny spot and watch them grow into cheerful blooms that attract birds and bees to your garden.
14. Lupines
Lupines are beautiful spring flowers with tall, striking bloomspikes that appear in spring and last into summer. They grow best in full sun and well-drained soil.
These stately perennials can reach up to 40 inches tall, making them a dramatic addition to your garden. They’re also deer resistant and make great cut flowers.
Lupines attract bees and butterflies, making them perfect for pollinator gardens. You can sow lupine seeds in March to enjoy their multi-colored flowers later in the season.
15. Azaleas
Azaleas are popular flowering shrubs that add vibrant colors to spring gardens. You can plant them in March after the last frost has passed.
These beautiful shrubs are part of the Rhododendron family but have smaller leaves. They thrive in partial shade and acidic soil.
In Georgia, azaleas are the state wildflower and grow especially well in southern regions. Some varieties rebloom throughout the season, giving your garden multiple bursts of color.
16. Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are perfect for March planting once the danger of frost has passed. These cheerful flowers produce vibrant blooms in red, orange, and yellow that will brighten your garden.
You’ll love how easy nasturtiums are to grow. They prefer cooler temperatures and will continue flowering well into fall, giving you months of color.
Nasturtiums serve a dual purpose in your garden. They attract hummingbirds with their long-spurred blossoms and can protect your vegetable plants. You can even eat the flowers and leaves in salads!
17. Gardenias
Gardenias are beautiful flowering shrubs that can add elegance to your March garden. They thrive in warm, humid environments and prefer well-draining, acidic soil.
For best results, plant your gardenias in areas with partial to full sun exposure. Make sure they have some protection from harsh afternoon rays.
Companion plants like lavender, lantana, and salvia create a lovely contrast with gardenia’s glossy green leaves and fragrant white blooms. These stunning flowers will reward you with their sweet scent throughout the growing season.