May Gardening Tips 2022

I really enjoy May. There is the excitement of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to look forward to, with its cornucopia of ideas and exuberant showcasing of the best in horticulture and garden design. And it is the month when the danger of frost recedes, so that in our region there are usually no more frosts from about 10th of the month. This opens up a world of colour now that hanging baskets, pots and borders can be filled with bedding plants in whatever combination suits your style and inclination.  At relatively little expense, and with a little careful dead heading, watering and feeding, you can enjoy colour from May until the first frosts of autumn.

Freedom from frost also allows tender vegetables to be planted out, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and peppers.  And you can sow marrows, courgettes, runner beans, french beans and sweetcorn or buy young plants. Start to sow some salad crops. We tend to use a raised planter or large pot which helps reduce slug damage.

If you have already sown some tender bedding plants or edibles under cover then it is always a good idea to harden them off before planting outside. Just put them outside during the day and bring them in at night for a week or so before you plant them out. This acclimatisation really helps.

It has been a dry April, so if you can, install a water butt to take water from your gutters. When you need to water your borders do so in the evening or early morning, rather than during the height of the day, to minimise evaporation. Mulching around your plants also helps keep the moisture in the soil lessening the stress on your plants during dry spells and reducing the need to water.

With some warmth garden plants will really start growing at pace. You may need to tie in the new growth of fast growing climbers and stake perennials that are getting taller. Of course, that means that weeds are also growing quickly too. I realise weeding is not the most romantic of tasks, but it doesn’t have to be such a great chore through the summer if you get on top of it now, before the weeds set seed. Weeding doesn’t have to be back breaking either. My paternal grandfather used to count on his trusty hoe, which he used almost every morning until his dying day. I always think of him when I weed. Just as I think of my maternal grandfather whenever I see a superb truss of tomatoes – his speciality. Two of the greatest things about gardening are the lifelong memories it creates and the connections it fosters across the generations.