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Your monthly gardening Guide ~ 5 jobs for May

If you’re new to the monthly gardening guide, a very warm welcome.

Each month, avid gardener, Jenny from @thelaundrygarden shares her top 5 gardening tips for the month.

If you missed last month’s blog, you can read it by clicking here.

In addition to Jenny’s stunning family home, she and her husband, Tom also have just under 3 acres of breath-taking garden that they lovingly care for.

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Within those 3 acres they have also built The Laundry Retreat which is a luxury haven specifically designed just for adults, offering a romantic setting, in a truly beautiful rural location.

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Whilst visiting the Retreat you also get to enjoy the stunning gardens which include a stunning walled garden.

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So, let’s get to it!

Over to you Jenny…

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When I think of May, I think of woodlands peppered with bluebells, and frothy cow parsley dancing in the gentle breeze.

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My first son was born on 22nd May, and for his first few birthdays we visited Bodnant Gardens to see the Laburnum arch in all its glory.

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It was also around the time I fell in love with gardening almost 22 years ago..

For many, we associate May with the Chelsea Flower Show or as it was originally known, the Great Spring Show. This year it has been moved to 21-26th September, and if you have the time, I highly recommend you try and go!

During this month it’s such a treat to be able to pop over to the local garden centre for a nose at what’s just arrived.

It’s the time to start buying plants to fill in any gaps in the borders and brighten up summer pots.

There are so many wonderful plants that bloom at this time of year; like foxgloves, peonies, alliums and iris to name a few!

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~ Here are my 5 garden jobs to keep you busy in May ~ (but don’t feel you have to do any!)

 

~ 1. Planting summer bedding plants in your pots ~

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Now the days are noticeably longer, and the evenings are slowly warming up, it’s a good time to start gathering together any summer bedding plants for your pots or ordering readymade ones from your local garden centre.

There’s so much to choose from, and plant combinations to mix.

If you’re a newbee and want some tips on planting up pots successfully the first thing I always say is.. work out how much sun or shade your pot is going to get! Knowing this will greatly help your choice of plants and planting compost.

It’s always worth seeking out tried and tested planting combinations in your first year. It helps you get a feel for what your style is and what plants like your garden situation.

I have often used Sarah Ravens collections with great success!

Don’t always feel you have to use annual bedding plants either, as perennials are just as rewarding, with the added bonus of them coming back every year.

~ 2. Lifting bulbs ~

If you’ve grown daffodils or tulips and any other early flowering bulb in pots, don’t be afraid to lift them out once they’ve finished flowering. This will make way for your summer planting.

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First rule of thumb is making sure the foliage remains attached so while in storage the goodness from the green leaves will nourish the bulb for the following year.

The bulb can be stored successfully in a mesh sack in a dark dry environment until the autumn.

However, please note, not all tulip bulbs will flower successfully the following year, so please check the variety if you’re thinking of re-planting it.

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Talking of bulbs, once your daffodils have finished flowering, it’s worth taking the flower heads off.

This stops the plant from putting too much energy into the seed head and not into the bulb.

DON’T be tempted to cut away all the green leaves just yet. If you’re growing them in pots and not lifting them, it’s worth feeding them with a high potash feed every week for the next six weeks, before completely cutting them to the ground.

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Me with my daffodils that I’ve lifted out of my planters.

For more information on how to care for spring flowering bulbs after flowering click here.

~ 3. Start looking out for aphids on your roses ~

As the new leaves are forming, and the weather is warming.

You can easily spot aphids in clusters on the underside and tops of the leaves.

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This can be treated with water and a tiny amount of washing-up liquid. The earlier this is dealt with the better, before there are too many to deal with!

A good way to help deter aphids on roses is to plant lavender, dill or thyme near them. This will help to attract the aphid’s predators like hoverflies and ladybirds.

For more information on Natural Aphid control visit Garden Design by click here.

~ 4. Divide Grasses, Bamboo & Ferns ~

If you have any grasses, bamboo or ferns, now is the best time to divide and move them while they are just throwing up new growth.

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Be extra careful with ferns, trying not to disturb their roots too much.

For lots more advice on dividing grasses head to the RHS website by clicking here.

This website also has lots more advice on dividing ferns. Click here

~ 5. Clipping box hedges ~

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We tend to start clipping all our box at the end of May as this is usually when all fears of frost have diminished! This is also when we have a window of time to do it all!  Making sure we’re finished before the second week of June.

Historically some gardeners like to wait until ‘Derby Day’. This was probably because the owners of big stately houses were away at the races and their gardeners had a window to clip all the topiary and hedges before they returned!  It’s a very messy job!

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If you are keen to keep yours tightly clipped, then a further clip can be done from the end of August to the beginning of September. Always make sure your tools are sharp and clean to help prevent the spread of any disease.

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Try and choose a dull day as too much sunlight can scorch the leaves. If you can only clip it on a sunny day, spray the plant with water first and throw a damp sheet over it as you go along.

For lots more advice on trimming box hedges click here.

~ This month’s book recommendation ~

Gardening for bumblebees ~ by Dave Goulson

~ This month’s Instagram profile to follow ~

Instagram ~ @mike_thegardener

Yet again, huge thanks to Jenny for guiding us through another month of top gardening jobs.

If you’re reading this as a beginner gardener you may find this blog (also written by the lovely, Jenny) really helpful ~ 5 quick gardening tips for beginners.

And finally, if you enjoyed reading this blog do scroll to the bottom to subscribe. Once subscribed, you’ll receive an email when a new blog is published, so you never miss a blog post again.