March Updates
Springtime is finally here, but winter continues to lurk. We’ve had 70 degree days with springtime plants popping up followed by torrential downpours and even snow showers! March and April are filled with very unpredictable weather here on the side of Roan Mountain. Much of the work this month consisted of unclogging ditches and culverts packed full of leaves and some road scraping.
A “School Bus Turnaround” sign was placed at the end of Broad Branch Road where the pavement ends. There were some issues in the past when people were parked in the location that the school bus needs to turn around at the end of Broad Branch Road. Hopefully, this new sign will remind people not to park in this designated area.
Plans for April
April will be a month of spring showers and rapid plant growth. Occasional winter weather is still possible, but the threat of ice and snow decreases significantly this month. Be aware though, that it has snowed before in May! Old timers up here know not to set out frost-tender plants before the second week of May (Mother’s Day). There will be some roadside weed-eating to do this month, but April’s occasional cold spells usually limit grass growth until May.
Springtime Nature
One of the first native perennial plants to appear in March are daffodils (pictured bottom left). Their bloom time is short, but they are a wonderful sight to remind us that warm weather is near. Besides daffodils, March is also the month when spring
larkspur starts to pop up and bloom (pictured bottom right).
One of the most popular spring plants to harvest and eat right now are ramps (pictured below). They are wild mountain leeks that grow in patches out in the woods. They can be found throughout Amber Ranches. To harvest these ramps, you just need a spade or shovel. Simply dig the bulb up and cook it like you would an onion or leek. Fried potatoes and ramps is a common meal this time of year in the mountains. It is important to note that all parts of the ramp can be eaten. The green leafy part can be put in a salad or cooked however you like. Please don’t dig too many ramp bulbs though! They are slow to multiply and overharvesting the bulbs is a problem. To help preserve our ramps, simply cut off the green leafy part and don’t dig many bulbs.
Hardin Brothers Landscaping 