Summer is on the way! As our spring bulbs fade away, it's time for herbaceous borders to take centre stage. May is a pivotal month in the gardening calendar - the gardening season is well underway, and with a little effort now you can set yourself up for the rest of the year.
What better time to start than National Gardening Week? Running from April 29th to May 5th, people all over the country will be celebrating the huge range of benefits that getting out in your garden can offer. It's not just about having a beautiful garden, gardening does wonders for our well-being.
Gardening jobs for May
We want to make things easy for you, so we have created a list of garden jobs for May - all those little tasks that you can get on top of now, so that your garden can thrive in the months ahead. Read on for our May gardening tips.
Bedding plants
When you are certain that the risk of frost has passed, it's time to start planting out summer bedding plants and tender plants. If you're after a stunning display of colour as a backdrop for when the hot weather comes around, now is the time to start putting your plans into action.
This applies to beds, borders and hanging baskets that you want to fill with plants like petunias, fuchsias, lavender, sunflowers and cosmos. If you are not sure the frost has passed, hold fire for now. You can plant hanging baskets and keep them in a greenhouse if you have one, just until you are confident the weather conditions have improved.
May is also a great time to plant flowering shrubs likeAzalea Japonicas andHydrangea Annabelle or perennial plants likeCordyline Festival Raspberry and sweet peas. Tomato plants can be put in a greenhouse, and move them outside as the weather gets warmer.
Pruning
May is a great month to get the secateurs out. By pruning in the spring, we create more room for growth and ultimately encourage more flowers to bloom. Many plants will benefit from pruning, here's a quick guide for the various types:
- tender shrubs - once you are sure the risk of frost has passed, trim back shrubs like lavender and rosemary. If it is still cold, wait until early autumn.
- ornamental grasses - remove all brown growth, and leave only the green stems
- summer flowering shrubs - cut back to the base of the plant at this time of year, ready for a burst of new growth.
- spring flowering bulbs - if your shrubs flower on the previous season's growth (like forsythia and weigela), you can cut them back as soon as they've finished flowering
- herbaceous plants - anything that you didn't get around to cutting back in Autumn can be cut back now
Sowing
There are a whole host of seeds that you can start sowing in May - sunflowers, poppies and ground cover annuals (like dahlias), as well as herbs seeds (try sage, thyme and rosemary), French beans, pumpkins, purple sprouting broccoli and courgettes.
In your greenhouse basil can be sown in pots, and you can start to sow patio plants, which can be moved outside towards the end of the month.
Watering
Obviously this will depend on the weather, but if we are lucky to have warm and dry spells in May, you may need to get out there and water plants. If possible, it's best to water in the mornings as the plants will start to use the water as the sun comes up, and it also helps to discourage slugs.
Make sure you water container plants, especially if they are in parts of your garden that are slightly sheltered. And don't forget anything you have growing in your greenhouse.
Mulch
We could write an entire article just on the benefits of mulching. It's an ideal way to help your soil stay moist and healthy, as well as warm while we are still waiting for when the weather starts to really heat up. May is the perfect time to add mulch to your garden, adding nutrients, suppressing weeds and making it all look neat and tidy. Woody shrubs like theAcer Maple Tree Shrub, and grasses likeFestuca Glauca Blue will reward you with beautiful lush foliage later in the year.
You can also feed any spring bulbs to encourage a great display next year.
Protect young plants
You'll find plenty of weeds starting to emerge, so make sure you remove these weeds as soon as possible to give young seedlings the best chance to thrive. If you are still concerned about cold weather, consider covering these young plants with fleece to offer extra protection.
Garden maintenance
There are plenty of more jobs for May - it's a great time to set up a fresh compost bin, clean and refresh your bird feeders, and care for your lawn by adding lawn feed and sowing lawn seed to repair any patches that have appeared over the winter.
National Gardening Week
So what are you waiting for? This time of year is the perfect time to get out there - not only will you be rewarded with a beautiful garden right through to late summer and beyond but, as National Gardening Week is here to highlight, it gives us a welcome boost on many other levels. Improved immune system, greater mobility, a boost to our mental health, a sense of community and reduced stress.
If you're after any more inspiration, shop ourpopular garden plants - and keep an eye out for some of our exciting National Gardening Week offers on our website. Don't forget to share your garden success stories with us on social media. We'd love to see what you've been up to.
