My brain thinks I don’t like March much. Looking out at rain pouring over a taupe-loafer colored world, it’s not too difficult to understand why… The whole idea of March just seems fraught with drear and impatience and interminable, unrequited, desperate hope.

But the reality of March (aside from the current deluge perhaps) is so much more lovely. I went away for a week – not away really, I was only at home – and during that short time there were so many changes. The birds are suddenly singing in earnest – the mourning doves and redwing blackbirds are back – and nothing sounds more like spring. Dawn comes during my morning walk (at least until this Sunday); buds on trees and shrubs are swollen and a few trees – early maples – are already in bloom.

The Hellebores are waking up – stinking hellebore (H. foetidus) of course is already up and about before everyone else, like a scullery maid preparing for the day. (Who else is addicted to Downton Abbey?) The sun – when it’s out – actually feels warm now and it’s getting harder and harder to resist getting into the gardens to start cleaning up. Next week we’ll warm up to it by at least cutting back the liriope and epimedium… and we’ll see if we can stop there. Given the potential for another wild swing to freezing, it may still be a little early to uncover other things…

And it wouldn’t be March, and March wouldn’t be so great without skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) in bloom in the swamps and crocus opening all over in fluffts and drifts.

…Why we don’t all plant hundreds of crocus and snowdrops in our lawn is completely beyond me…

What are you finding to love about March?

It’s not EVERYDAY that one gets invited to sit in Martha Stewart’s studio audience, but last week a bunch of tickets to the Gardening Show were offered to Blithewold staff. And, honestly now, who wouldn’t want to get out of bed at 2:30 AM in the middle of a vacation to trundle off to NYC with a gaggle of coworkers and compatriots to see Martha her very self in action? Not me, that’s who. (I mean to say that I DID want to go. Mostly. Pretty much. Hey, I went – and went smiling: see for yourself at the 7 minute mark of the final q&a segment of the show – clips are here and Blithewold staff make up most of the second to last row, starting with Gail on the end up to me, wearing signature green.)

I’ve had a lot of time in the last few days to think about the trip (and recover from something kind of like jet lag) and I can tell you that what was most amazing (aside from the bucket of swag we all took home) was the spectacle of Martha’s army in action. There were a dozen or so assistants whose job it was to herd the audience from our line down the block, to the coatroom/waiting room to the studio and then to make sure we were color coordinated in some mysterious way (everyone in the audience was encouraged to wear gardening clothes and there were some wonderful hats and boots!) and bouncers to make sure we didn’t leave our seats. There were dozens more milling around the set moving props, watering plants (the fake greenhouse is full to the gills with live plants), sweeping invisible dust, cooking food, operating scads of cameras, shuffling cues, and giving orders. There was even a court jester whose job it was to make the audience laugh, smile more and clap louder, – LOUDER – then faaaade oouuttt…

I was feeling a little envious – after all, Blithewold doesn’t employ anywhere near the number of staff that Martha Stewart does. But now that I’ve thought about it, our behind the scenes staff, although fewer in number, is just as amazing for being able to put on a live show that never goes off the air or takes station breaks (well, maybe we get a bit of a break starting in January. But we’ll be back soon! Stay tuned. — APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!… and fade out…)

Do you have an army working behind the scenes on your show?