MAY has so much to offer — the garden is in full swing and gardens are blooming with such fantastic colour at the moment.
The vegetable garden is lush and green and all the vegetables are getting nice and strong. We have lots of strawberries and tomatoes; for anyone with a small greenhouse it is a brilliant way to start growing your own vegetables at home.
Hanging basket plants are coming in, with an array of colour to choose from. So whether you like a petunia basket with the hot pink colours or purples, or it’s the trailing begonias that you love, we have a lot to pick from. Mix baskets are very popular and some lovely Bacopa, Bidens and Diascia can give you lots of colour for the summer.
The perennial range is growing each week and whether it’s a shady area or an area that gets lots of sun, we have a lovely selection to choose from.
When you have a shady area, it can seem tricky to get plants to grow, but we have some like the Hosta and Fern, Astilbe, Coleus — and these are just a few to name. For sunny areas, the likes of dahlia, nepeta, lilies, and lupins are ideal — and again these are just a few to name.
A few reminders for the next few weeks: keep on top of the weeds — they are growing well too at the moment, and regular militance helps to keep it under control.
Feeding bedding plants encourages them to bloom — and deadheading too — so the more you mind the plant, the more blooms you will have.
Watering is a tricky one to answer; this needs to be kept an eye on, and early morning or late evening are best. So when it’s nice and warm, they need regular care.
Keep an eye on the pests like greenfly and treat roses regularly to help keep them and black spot away too.
Most of all, in the month of May I enjoy the lovely scented lavender, the beautiful lilac tree with the most gorgeous smells, and all the lovely flowers that come through my door.
I hope you get to embrace your fabulous creation — whether it’s the garden or a patio — enjoy the long evenings and the colours in the garden.
