May in the Garden
There’s something truly restorative about getting your hands dirty in the garden. The simple act of tending to plants, focusing on immediate tasks like sowing seeds or deadheading flowers, has a wonderful way of quieting busy minds and lifting spirits. Many gardeners find that just being surrounded by growing things brings an instant sense of calm and accomplishment.
May arrives with all the promise of peak gardening season! As spring bulbs gracefully bow out and border plants surge into vigorous growth, our gardens are transformed by clouds of blossom on trees and hedges. With summer beckoning, this is the month to embrace the joy of planting – filling beds with colorful annuals, establishing productive vegetable plots, and creating spectacular hanging basket displays. The warming weather also signals the return to regular lawn care routines, as grass responds enthusiastically to May’s longer days and gentle warmth.
Plant Bedding Plants
Here on the nursery we grow all of our summer bedding, from 9cm potted 6 pack, you name it we grow it!
Tips for planting in to beds and borders
- Rake the soil level, removing any debris or stones.
- For more formal bedding schemes, mark out the design on the surface of the soil using fine sand.
- Gently loosen plants from their trays by pushing them up from the base. Knock out plants from pots by giving a sharp tap to the bottom with the handle of your trowel. Remember to keep your hand securely over the top of the plant when doing this so as not to drop it on the ground!
- Handle plants by leaves or roots.
- Starting with the central block of your design, first lay out the plants on the soil where they are to be planted. Use a template or a rough guide such as the length of a trowel to space plants evenly. Only when you are happy with the positioning should you begin planting.
- Plant so the top of the rootball is just below the soil surface.
- Firm in.
- Once planting is completed, water in using a watering can with a rose.
- Shallow-rooted plants dry out quickly, so water regularly when they are growing strongly.
- Deadhead spent flowers frequently to promote continual flowering.
- Feed weekly in the growing/flowering season to keep the plants healthy and flowering.
Other jobs for May
- Prune spring shrubs, such as Forsythia and Chaenomeles, after flowering to keep them compact and shaped.
- Apply liquid feed to tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs to encourage a good display next year.
- Stake perennials and lightweight shrubs. Use grow through hoops for ease or a cane with twine.
- Keep mulching before the plants grow too much and you can still get in between them and see what you're doing.
- Stay on top of the weeds if you can. A quick hoe once a week will keep them at bay and will mean they don't compete for water, light or nutrients with the plants you want to grow.
- May is also a good month to weed and apply feed to the lawn. As it's growing so well, the grass should fill the gaps left by any weeds that are killed off and grass seed is quick to grow. Choose a dry day and follow the packet instructions for both but not at the same time.