We know. Technically, you probably *should’ve* started planting your garden in February. But this is Oklahoma—we’re built different. If you procrastinated your yard work until March, don’t beat yourself up. You’re not behind, you’re just fashionably late to the dirt party. And lucky for you, folks like Landa Williams over at Riverside Gardens in Sayre are ready to help you catch up without catching heat from the neighbor who’s already got tomatoes sprouting and flowerbeds blooming like a Hallmark movie set.
So what *can* you still plant right now?
Glad you asked. March in Oklahoma is actually a sweet spot for cool-season vegetables. That means you can still throw down seeds for spinach, lettuce, radishes, carrots, onions, and potatoes. These hardy little suckers can handle a chill or two, and they’ll make you look like a seasoned gardener even if you’re winging it between reruns of Yellowstone and NASCAR races.
On the flower front, you’re good to go with things like pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, calendula, and alyssum. These are the kinds of blooms that say, “Hey, I know it’s still sweater weather in the mornings, but I’m here to party.”
Now, let’s talk about that glorious moment when you roll into your local garden center or feed store—maybe even Riverside Gardens over on Fourth Street in Sayre, where longtime plant whisperer Landa Williams has been growing beauty for six years—and you start eyeing the bags of fertilizer. That’s when the number soup starts. You know what we’re talking about: 10-10-10. 13-13-13. 20-0-5. 16-48. DDT. DEET. WD-40. 10W-30. 5.56 NATO.
It’s like a chemistry test out there. Whatever happened to the good ol’ days when you just tossed some cow patties in the dirt, gave it a little water, and let the magic happen? Now we’ve got nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium... it’s like your plants are cramming for the ACT. (Pro tip: if it smells terrible, it’s probably good for your garden. And if it doesn’t smell like anything at all, it probably cost more.)
If you’re planting fruits or thinking long-term, March is also a good time to put in fruit trees like peaches or apples, or some berry bushes—especially if you want something the grandkids can pick later without tearing up the lawn.
And hey, don’t sleep on native plants. Things like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, milkweed, and bee balm are tough enough to handle Oklahoma’s wild mood swings and help out the bees and butterflies while they’re at it.
So if you’re staring at your yard and wondering if it’s too late to make something grow, the answer is nope—you’re right on time. Grab a shovel, take a deep breath, and go play in the dirt. Just maybe skip the 10W-40 and stick to the fertilizer that doesn’t go in your truck.
“We don’t really know what the weather’s doing around here,” said Landa Williams, who’s been running Riverside Gardens in Sayre for the past six years. “Some folks say they don’t plant anything until after Easter. But the second it hits 80 degrees for a couple of days, they’re out here chomping at the bit.”
Landa knows her stuff—and not just from textbooks. She came to Riverside Gardens after years of early mornings working across the street, finally deciding it was time to trade 4 a.m. wakeups for a life surrounded by blooms and backyard beauty. What started as a passion, with a little nudge from a heavenly friend who can still be felt in the air around the shop, has turned into a fulltime mission to help local folks bring color, life, and herbs into their yards.
If you’re looking for something easy to plant right now, she recommends petunias, dianthus, and periwinkles (especially if you’ve got a sun-drenched west-facing yard). “Dianthus is one of those flowers people think is an annual, but if you water it through winter, it can come back strong,” she said.
And if you’re more the “stick it in the ground and hope for the best” type, Landa gets it. “Sweet potato vines will grow like crazy,” she warned. “But put them in a pot—don’t just throw them in the yard unless you want them to take over your whole flower bed.”
Riverside Gardens isn’t just about flowers either. Landa’s got hanging baskets, herbs of every kind (many of which will come back year after year if treated right), metal yard art, and a few surprises tucked out back. She even grows her own tomatoes, peppers, and okra at home—in big old mineral tubs. “We save seeds year to year,” she said. “That Star of David okra goes back generations in my family.”
So whether you’re chasing blooms, homegrown salsa ingredients, or just a reason to get outside, now’s as good a time as any to dig in. Western Oklahoma weather’s always got a surprise up its sleeve—and timing is everything, especially when Mother Nature doesn’t always RSVP. But don’t worry, we’ll be keeping an eye on the skies, checking the dirt, and popping back in when it’s time to talk about what’s worth planting next.
