May’s Gardening Jobs

Spider chillin’ on bluebells

Oh what an exciting month May is in the garden! There are so many elements of the garden that are really bursting into life in May and with the longer and (usually) warmer days everything is growing at an incredible rate. One of my favourite combinations of the year is in flower by the end of the month – foxgloves and alliums. I particularly love the simplicity of white foxgloves with the purple sparkle of alliums dotted through.

It can feel a little overwhelming at this time of year to keep up with all your gardening tasks and I tend to find a ‘little and often’ approach is much better than having one long drawn out session. Take time to go into your outdoor space, observe the abundance of changes and tackle one or two tasks here and there. To help with a little to do list inspo, here are a few things you can do…

Sow pumpkins and gourds

May is the time to sow your pumpkin seeds ready for a great show/pumpkin carving session in the Autumn. Either sow them in pots to get them started or wait a little until the soil is nice and warm and sow them directly where they are to grow. The seeds of most gourds are quite large and flat so try to so them on their side to give them a little assistance by making them less likely to rot in the moist soil before they can get a chance to germinate.

Harden off bedding plants

If you’re into your annual ‘bedding’ plants and can’t resist the colourful show that the garden centres are beginning to stock, make sure you harden them off before planting out. May can still be a little temperamental and often the plants you buy have been kept inside right up until you purchase them, so it’s good to leave them in a sheltered spot next to the house for a few days/nights. If the night temperature looks set to be particularly low, it can be a good idea to pop them in an unheated greenhouse or shed overnight to give them that little edge of protection. Once those few days have gone by (and if there’s no cold nights forecast) they should be OK to plant out into your chosen pots or borders.

Stake perennials before they get too big

There are certain perennials that can get a little overexcited and heavy during their summer growth and can end up flopping or imposing on the plants around them. This month is a good time to pop some plant supports in before they get too big. The key is to do it before they get too big as you’re less likely to damage them as you put the stakes in and generally it’s easier for you at this stage and we’re all about making our lives easier, aren’t we?

No Mow May

This is a great one as it actually means less work! I personally find the concept of not mowing any of your lawn at all a little much, so I have a circular patch under the old pear tree that I always leave as a wild area. This gets cut twice a year and the way the area develops is so interesting – crocus’ at the beginning of the year as the first pop of colour, bluebells and dandelions in April/May and long wild grass onwards. My cats adore this space all summer, hiding in the long grass and hopping out at me when I walk past. Your ‘No Mow May’ patch doesn’t have to be a permanent wild patch, it can be a temporary section for May just to give some insects and pollinators a section of habitat for a few weeks and see how it goes from there.

Mabel in long grass

And as always, enjoy your garden! Make sure you’ve got that lovely morning coffee spot ready for you to pop out when we get a sunny morning or that evening cold beer spot when we have a warm evening. The key here is to have a bench or chair in situ all the time for when you have an opportunity. If you’ve got to go in the shed and get a chair out, you’re less likely to do it with that extra hassle involved (or at least I know I am!). If you have a seat ready and waiting, you’re much more likely to spend that spare 5 minutes sitting out enjoying your garden when the mood strikes.