March 8: International Women's Day. I vote that we all go out to dinner.

March 10: Are violets blooming in your yard?

March 12: Today is Mrs. Beeton's birthday. (Your grandmother would know who she was.)

March 13: The flower for today (according to the floral calendar in Hones Everyday Book, 1826) is heartsease, or pansy.

March 14: National Potato Chip Day

You can plant onions as soon as you can till the soil. They will grow almost anywhere, but they appreciate a fertile, moist (but not soggy) soil, and cool temperatures. To produce green onions, plant the sets one inch deep and almost touching. (Green onions are harvested before crowding becomes a problem). Start pulling your onions when the tops are 6 inches tall. Their flavor will be stronger as they get larger; you can use them in cooked dishes when they're too fiery to eat raw.

The onion has been used medicinally since antiquity. The inside of an onion skin placed on cuts and scratches acted as a wound ointment. An onion placed on a wasp or bee sting soon took the pain away. A mixture of onions and sugar in water was a cure for whooping cough. Rubbed on the head it was believed a cure for baldness.

Onions were also thought to repel evil spirits, and bunches of onions were often hung outside the door or over the manger in the barn to keep witches and bad fairies away. Onions were also used to predict the weather:

Learn lots more about onions:

• The Mystical, Magical, Magnetic Onion: Listen to Susan's podcast, read recipes, and more lore.
• Onions, Leeks, & Garlic: A Handbook for Gardeners, by Marian Coonse

Visit the website for International Women's Day 2010. Read an interesting history here.

If you find violets in the woods, make some old-fashioned Sweet Violet Syrup. (Bet the kids would love to help with this, and enjoy the syrup on their pancakes!) Here's how: 2 cups boiling water 6 cups freshly-picked violet blossoms (unsprayed), washed thoroughly 2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice Place violets in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over them and place a saucer on top to submerge the flowers. Let stand for 24 hours. Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the violets and liquid through it, squeezing out the liquid. Discard the blossoms. Add lemon juice to the liquid and simmer in a non-reactive pan until the mixture is the consistency of syrup. Cover and refrigerate. Use within a week.

Find out all about Isabella Beeton, the Domestic Diva of her day (1836-1865). She was the most famous cookbook author in British history, and her cookbook, Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, was required reading for every British bride who managed her own kitchen. (In 1913, Beatrix Potter asked for a copy as a wedding gift.)

Don't forget to enter the China Bayles quiz—you might win a free copy of Holly Blues (coming in April)! The questions are easy (free hints provided!) Better hurry—this week's quiz closes Wednesday, March 10, at noon.

On National Potato Chip Day, read about the potato in the entry for March 14 in The China Bayles Book of Days. Don't have a copy? Susan will be glad to sign one and send it to you! Order it here. For even more about the potato, you'll enjoy Larry Zuckerman's book, The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World.

When elm leaves are as big as a shilling Plant potatoes, if to plant them you're willing. When elm leaves are as big as a penny, You must plant potatoes if you mean to have any. —Northern England traditional lore