What to Start Indoors in March

Learn how to pre-sprout ranunculus in Zone 5 for strong spring blooms. Step-by-step soaking, planting, timing, and storage tips for Northern Illinois gardeners.

Pruning in March made simple for Zone 5 gardeners. Learn which shrubs to cut, which to leave, and how to prune without losing blooms.

Have you ever looked at a perfect garden online and thought, Why doesn’t mine look like that? You’re not alone. Most of us garden in real life — with real weather, real soil, real time constraints, real budgets, and real limitations. That’s why the Garden Design for Real Life series exists — not to chase perfection, but to build gardens that actually work. Here are the six foundations that matter most as we head into spring. 1️⃣ Start With Your Life — Not the Plants Before you plant a single thing, ask yourself: How much time do I realistically have? Do I enjoy pruning and deadheading — or does that feel like maintenance? Do I want one bed to fuss over and the rest to be easy? If you only want a weekend garden, don’t design a weekday garden. Low maintenance gardens aren’t accidents. They’re built with repetition, dependable shrubs and perennials, and fewer “one of everything” choices. When your garden fits your life, everything gets easier. 👉 Part 1: Designing for Real Life 2️⃣ Soil Is the Foundation This isn’t the glamorous part — but it’s the part that changes everything.

Support winter birds with easy homemade suet recipes, including bark butter, no-melt suet, and suet wreaths, plus storage and feeding tips.

Learn how to tell if dried herbs are still good, the best ways to use them up, and simple infusion methods for vinegars, oils, and compound butters.

A DIY seed-starting how-to for Zone 5 gardeners, including what seeds to start in February, beginner-friendly setup tips, and proven methods for healthy seedlings.

Winter sowing is an easy, eco-friendly method for starting seeds outdoors using natural freeze-thaw cycles—perfect for native plants and pollinator gardens.

Learn how to plant and care for a terrarium with simple, sustainable tips that make these mini ecosystems easy to maintain and perfect for small spaces.

Discover the benefits of houseplants, from improving air quality to boosting mental health and supporting sustainable living—perfect for winter and beyond.