Welcome to Seasonal Gardening

May Gardening Tasks

You will need to work hard this month to keep weeds at bay, especially with the wet weather sweeping the country. Keep pulling them out and hoeing off the bare ground until the borders fill-out with emerging perennials and bedding plants. Whilst weeding check for self-sown annuals, biennials and perennials that can be potted-up or transplanted for use in other areas of the garden.

Plant container grown plants, shrubs and roses now, taking advantage of the cool weather and plentiful spring showers to enable plants to become well established before the hot and dry summer months arrive.

Keep a Digital Record of New Plants

Plant labels often get lost, broken or fade with time. So if you are planting newly purchased plants this spring, take a picture of the plant with its label clearly visible, using a camera, smart phone or tablet, and store the image file for future reference. Then you will never forget what species and variety of plants you have and where they are planted in the garden. Image files also have an associated date stamp, letting you know exactly when they were planted.

Grow Drought Tolerant Container Plants

If you are too busy to water regularly and still want to plant containers, then why not plant-up some tender succulents such as aeoniums, crassulas, echeverias, haworthias or mesembryanthemums. These tough little plants will virtually look after themselves all summer, without the need for much watering once established. However, as they are all tender they cannot be put outside until all risk of frost in your area has passed. Be sure to use a free draining compost, such as cactus compost and top off with gravel, small stones or slate chippings to ensure that the succulent leaves and rosettes do not sit in damp soil.

Plant of the Month

Clematis montana

The ever delightful clematis montana will be displaying its white, rosy-pink or lilac flowers this month, covering walls, pergolas or intertwining with shrubs. Providing a glorious extravaganza of spring colour.

Garden of the Month

Nymans - Sussex

The masses of azaleas, rhododendrons and magnolias in full bloom make Nymans a delight to visit at this time of year. This lovely enchanting garden is just full of atmosphere, with sweeping lawns, romantic ruins, Italianate statues, clipped topiary and gracefully cedar trees.