Online Gardening Calendar

May

May is one of the busiest months in the gardening calendar, with plants catching up from their cold, slow start and thriving under milder conditions. Everything is growing at a great pace, and dark, drab winter seems like a dim and distant memory. Early cherry and plum blossom is giving way to apple and pear, while bluebells and forget-me-nots carpet the landscape.
There is a vast array of tempting plants at North Wales Garden World so come and have a look.

Fruit

Ensure that the soil around new fruit trees is not allowed to dry out while they become established, and keep grass away from trees for at least three years. Push straw under ripening strawberries.

Trees and Shrubs

Hedges are beginning to sprout, so keep well trimmed to prevent them from becoming too unruly. Most hedge varieties can be left alone until early summer, but some faster growing types need around three trims each year.

Vegetables

Regularly harvest rhubarb and remove any flower spikes. Take care to cover up potatoes from late frosts. Now that the soil is warmer and drier, continue to sow crops, taking care to sprinkle the seeds relatively thinly.

Flowers

Weeds will be appearing thick and fast, so stay on top of them by weeding thoroughly, before they have a chance to seed and spread. Mulching borders will prevent weeds from taking over and conserve moisture.

Lawns

After two or more mowings at a high setting, the mower height can be moved to the normal setting. To keep the lawn in tip top condition, aim to cut it once a week. If you have unsightly bare patches, over seeding or turfing is the solution.

Pots

Plant up hanging baskets and other containers with tender summer bedding plants, but do not leave them out until you are sure of frost free nights.

Ponds

This is the best month for making a new garden pond. If your pond has turned green with algae, add more oxygenating plants. Plant new water lilies, and divide and replant existing ones. Think about purchasing a new filter system. This will ensure the water is clear and healthy and will add tremendously to your enjoyment of your pond.