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These March reflections are part of a monthly practice of noticing what each season asks of us — and March asks quite a lot.
After months of rest and quiet preparation, transition is finally here: the snow retreating, the first crocuses pushing through, the days growing noticeably longer. In this article, I share how the sights, sounds, and feel of early spring — birdsong returning, sunlight warming your face, squirrels stirring — signal that it’s time to wake up alongside the garden.
March is not a clean arrival — it’s more of a negotiation. While January is a month of rest and recharging, and February is a month for planning and preparation, March, in my eyes, means transition. It is shifting between winter and spring, the two seasons sharing one stage.
The snow has (mostly) disappeared and been replaced by rain, and the first spring flowers like crocuses and snowflakes (the flowers, not the actual thing) begin to appear. The light is shifting, and finally, the days become perceptibly longer.
A promise of spring lies in the air.
I notice all of this before most people are awake since I start working pretty early, at 6 o’clock to be precise. Last week, I heard a bird singing before I went into the office, and I realised only then that I hadn’t heard birdsong for months! When the birds sing again, spring has stepped onto the stage.
Now is a wonderful time to go outside, even when it’s raining and the wind is blowing harshly. Yet there’s so much change out there that we can witness almost daily. Early blooms push through the soil, and squirrels look for their long-forgotten storage chambers.
This winter was particularly cold and long, but March has started with warm temperatures and sunshine, and I swear I’m a new person altogether. Just because those little beams of sunlight hit me, and the warmth makes me pull off my thick down jacket and replace it with a lighter version.
That shift isn’t just in me — step outside, and you can see it everywhere.
The Garden Awakens
With longer days and shifting light, the garden stirs back to life — slowly, almost shyly at first.
The soil may be wet and even still frozen on the surface, and it can be hard to see any change at all. But temperatures are slowly rising, and underneath, things are moving. Spring is advancing while winter still lingers.
On dry, sunny days, it’s worth pulling back the mulch from your garden beds and letting the soil soak up some warmth. Watch the buds on your trees and shrubs — they’re swelling, quietly promising to burst open, although the nights are still cold and even frosty. The garden is responding to both seasons at once. If you haven’t pruned yet, early March is often your last chance before new growth begins.
I’ve put together a full list of essential garden tasks for March if you’d like a practical checklist.
Make Room for Spring
In ancient times, the Spring equinox was celebrated as the beginning of a New Year, which, in my opinion, makes much more sense than beginning a new year in the depths of winter. I’ve written about that in detail in my January reflections.
I can feel the energy of new beginnings and making plans. Yet, sometimes it’s necessary to remove some of the old stuff and make room for the new. While winter slowly leaves the stage, we prepare the space for spring. That’s why March is such a great month to declutter, organise and clean your home.
Declutter A Small Space
I know – I feel overwhelmed, too, when I hear the word declutter. The good news is, you can start small. Choose a drawer, for example. You know which one I mean: the one every household has where all the knick-knacks and stuff land that you don’t know where else to put, and where packets of hankies, dried-out pens and tiny plastic toys from the Kinder Egg wait to be rediscovered.
This is our drawer of doom. Posh on the outside, but chaotic within.
I like to spread everything out on the kitchen table, then sort through the stuff and throw away everything that’s broken or I don’t need anymore. Put the remaining stuff where it belongs, and only put back in the drawer what you really want to be there.
Spring Cleaning
I’m sorry to admit that I’m not a huge fan of cleaning. It feels tedious and pointless because dust and dirt will always find a way. On the other hand, I like my home to be clean. Contradictory, I know. But as the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey once said, women are perfectly entitled to be contrary — and she was rarely wrong about anything.
If you’re in for a good spring cleaning, grab a bucket of hot water and a cleaning cloth and get started. If it helps, listen to an audiobook while working on your new dust-free home (I love a good cosy crime, for example) or play some music, whatever helps you do the job. The reward of a deep-clean house and sparkling windows is waiting for you.
Prepare for the Garden Season
I can think best in a clean environment. Maybe that makes me a little like Monk, but that’s how my mind works. A good spring cleaning not only satisfies my eyes but also sets my creative motor in motion.
If you haven’t made a garden plan yet — deciding which vegetables you want to grow and where each crop will go — now is the time. I wrote a detailed guide to help you think it through.
Another thing to do now is seed-starting — and if that’s new to you, here’s my step-by-step introduction along with a list of vegetables worth sowing in March.
Self-Care in March
When the weather suddenly turns cold and wintry again after a few warm, sunny days, I sometimes feel like howling in misery! It sometimes feels like handing a child a bar of chocolate and then telling them they can’t have it.
In those moments of despair (yeah, sometimes I’m a real drama queen), I remind myself that March is a month of transition. It’s not clicking a button and voilà: spring is here all of a sudden.
March feels more like a dance between winter and spring. One day, spring has a solo and shows us all it has to offer; the next day, winter takes over the stage, putting on one last performance.
While spring gains strength, winter slowly loses its power. The times “on stage” diminish until the last farewell before it retreats completely until the end of the year.
This dance can feel surprisingly long, but we know that spring will stay in the end and take over again. In the meantime, let’s see what we can do for ourselves to keep our balance.
March Self-Care for Body…
I’ve started jogging again, and between jogging and long walks, I enjoy being outdoors no matter the weather.
Even if you don’t like jogging, spend some time outdoors. I particularly enjoy watching how nature awakens again. Crocuses and coltsfoot suddenly push through the soil, birds are singing, and the buds of trees and bushes start to swell. The progress is slow, but it is unmistakable.
In the evenings, however, I sometimes feel quite exhausted. Whether it’s the exercise, the shifting temperatures or simply spring fever, I couldn’t say. But no matter the reason, it’s important to be kind to oneself and learn to move with the season’s rhythm. Take a break when you need one, have a nap or simply go to bed early.
Learn from nature and don’t overdo it. Your strength will return soon enough, and the tiredness will be forgotten.
… For Mind…
March is a time when organising and planning become important to me. I love to have a clear vision of what I want to do in the garden, what new recipes to try with our vegetables and how to preserve my harvest. Many of these aspects are routine, of course, but I want to try out some new things every year, be it new vegetables or varieties, new recipes or even new preserving methods. While the garden is only beginning to wake, our ideas are already stepping forward.
March is also a good time to start new creative projects. Have you ever tried soapmaking, for example? In my section about Home & Body, you’ll find several easy soap recipes and instructions. It’s a wonderful beginner project if you enjoy working with natural ingredients.
In the evenings, though, I love retreating with a good book, especially when I feel I have been productive during the day. Let’s not forget the relaxing power of experiencing other lives through a well-written story.
… and Soul
For me, March is the perfect month for inviting people over. Where I was too self-absorbed in January, and I know I’ll become too outdoors-focused as soon as the outdoor gardening season begins in April, I now have both the energy and time to prepare luscious cakes for a tea party or cook a wonderful meal for an evening dinner with friends.
For these gatherings, I often decorate our home with flowers as a sign that spring is entering the house. It doesn’t matter that they’re store-bought; they bring a touch of spring into our home and our spirits.
If you want to invite guests over, why not do so on the Spring equinox, the moment when day and night are perfectly balanced? You could celebrate the ancient New Year and even start a new tradition. Or simply light a candle for yourself and the new season with all its promises.
While March brings the promise of spring and new beginnings, it can sometimes feel harsh and cold. Just remember that it’s a time of transition where winter and spring find themselves in a dance. One day, spring leads, the next winter takes over.
If nothing else, March teaches us patience. We know that winter will retreat eventually and spring will take its place. Let’s observe nature’s rhythm and take it as our model. Learning to move with that rhythm is part of seasonal living.
In the meantime, let us enjoy every new flower that blooms, birdsong in the early morning, or tea with friends. These are signs that spring is slowly taking the lead.
If these reflections have you thinking about your garden, you’ll find all my gardening posts here. For seasonal recipes — many of them authentically Bavarian — head to the recipe section. And if you’re curious about homemade body care or preserving your harvest, those have their own home here, too.
Missed the previous month? You can read my February reflections here.