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May is a time of great growth in the garden and an essential period for making those final preparations before the summer gets into full swing.
What to plant:
- Summer-flowering bulbs
- Summer-flowering bedding & border plants
- Summer-flowering perennials
- Garden Ready plants
- Pre-planted hanging baskets
- Strawberries
- Basil
- Chives
- Coriander
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Mint
What to order:
- Garden Ready plants
- Pre-planted hanging baskets
- Pot-grown Begonias
- Pot-grown Dahlias
- Tomato plants
- Bean plants
Summer bedding plants
Mid-to-late May is the best time to plant out summer-bedding plants. You do need to keep an eye on the long-term weather forecast when doing this, as a late strong frost can jeopardise your hard work. You can keep plants in the greenhouse until the weather improves and move them out towards the end of the month. Make sure that they're well-watered and the greenhouse is well aired, vented and shaded during the day so that these plants don't overheat in warm weather.
Hanging baskets
The same rules apply to hanging baskets. You can plant these from April onwards, but until the last sign of frost has passed you may want to protect them in the greenhouse. If you don't have one, hold off planting until the end of May. Water well, add fertilizer weekly and keep an eye out for pests!
Tidy up
You may find you need to clip any hedging and topiary now to keep its shape neat and tidy. The warmer weather will also mean regular mowing of the lawn will be a necessity now and through the summer months. Once a week should be sufficient, keep on top off this and your garden will look tidy all summer!
Keep an eye on growth
Many growing plants may need your attention this month, add plenty of feed to keep them happy. Tall perennials may need trellis and support as they start to grow to keep them straight and upright. It is also important to tie up your Clematis to control their climbing in the direction you would like them to grow. For rambling roses, try to tie as horizontal as possible as this will restrict the flow of sap and increase side shoots, causing more flowers. Spring-flowered Montana type Clematis need pruning after flowering to keep them tidy.
Top Tips:
- Pull up any seedlings and dig out perennial weeds with a fork to try and get rid of any roots.
- Pond weed is equally important to deal with and should be removed regularly before it becomes too difficult to manage and harmful to pond life.
- May is a great time to begin stocking ponds with fish, just make sure any aquatic plants have established first.