Gardeners Tips

A classic scene from May – a carpet of Bluebells.

Tips for Gardening in May

• Beware of ground frosts especially in the north and unsheltered parts. Be ready with some fleece or in an emergency some newspaper to cover delicate plants. Have seedlings and pots on convenient trays for moving in and out of safe frost free places.
• A big job is hardening off plants getting them accustomed to the outside weather. Make use of cold frames and adjust plants gradually to outdoor temperatures.
• Planting out seedlings is another time consuming but rewarding job. Look at recommended width for planting depth, it is easy to forget how big seedlings can grow. However, if slugs are a problem you could plant out thickly and leave room for natural wastage.
• As Plants spring into life, unfortunately so do weeds. On dry days scour the garden with a hoe. Deep rooted weeds may need more persistent treatment of digging and weedkiller. See: Dealing with Weeds

Red Poppy makes big impact in late May.

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At this time of the year, we can start thinking about hardenening off our young seedlings. Depending where you live, the last frosts will be still around until the start of May, but, some seedlings can still be hardened off.

They Key to harden off seedlings for outside planting is to get them gradually used to the difference in temperature.

• Allow at least one week of hardening off. Preferably two weeks.
• Make Use of the Greenhouse, a cold frame or improvised insulation method.
• During the day, especially when sunny make sure the windows are opened to allow sufficient fresh air. Under glass, seedlings can easily get too hot.
• At night simply close the lid to prevent any frost.
• During the hardening off period, feel free to keep the lid open for longer.
• Keep an eye on the temperature. If a particularly frost night is expected, extra insulation such as a blanket may be necessary.
• If seedlings were grown away from the glare of the sun. Make sure they get accustomed to the rays of the sun gradually as well.
• When finally planting out. Choose a day with relatively mild temperatures and not too sunny. This makes for an easier transition.

Notes

Even frost resistant plants like Sweet Peas need hardening off. If they are suddenly moved from inside to outside, the change in temperature can be enough to stunt growth.

These crocus photos were taken at St Johns College, Oxford. Raindrops add a bit of interest though it is tempting to wipe the mud off.

Best Planting depth

• Plant the corms about 4 inches deep, with the wider bottom of the bulb at the bottom.
• Plant Bulbs about 3 to 4 inches apart.
• For best effect plant in drifts and mass plantings of at least a dozen.
• When Planting crocus, the best time is September or early October.

This same bunch of crocus has just been taken from a higher angle.

Notice how it gives quite a different effect to take photo from ground level.

Crocus In bloom.

An uncollected leaf adds a touch of colour.

• Naturalised crocus

Read Crocus Tommasinianus

Sun creeping through early autumn colours

Light and dark

Late season Asters

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Runner Beans offer a great combination of delicate flowers and tasty runner beans

Runner Bean

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A Garden is a thing of beauty and a job forever.

There is no end to the jobs we can do in the garden. But, sometimes we just want to sit back and enjoy it.

Two Colour Contast

This planting creates a great impression; it gives the old fashioned cottage garden look. It is lovely combination of white and red (with just a hint of blue in the background). Two colours that contrast very well. Note a third colour would be unlikely to improve this picture. Sometimes two colours can be very effective

White Garden

If it’s good enough for Vita Sackville-West, it’s good enough for us – White Garden’s

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These beautiful roses were taken after a spell of heavy rain. Rain is often the bane of a gardener, but, it can also help to give a real fresh look to the plants and flowers.

Related

• Tips on Growing Roses
• Roses with Single Blooms