May

May is a time for sun, smelling the fresh cut lawn and feeling the garden getting into its stride. It’s also likely to be a busy month with plenty of planting out to be done and the now constant job of mowing the lawn and trying to keep up with the incessant weed growth. Obviously it’s also a time for lounging on aforementioned lawn and basking in the sun but then that’s the balance I guess. Cardiff had its fair share of rain last month and now with water butts brimming it’s time to feel the full blast of spring before it begins its slide into summer next month.
With the growing season now being well and truly under way many of us will now feel it’s finally safe to plant out our more annuals, order in plug plants and even give some of the house plants their summer airing. If you haven’t done it before I’d recommend trying the “Chelsea chop” this year, this is when plants such as Sedums are trimmed back before flowering to produce a stockier, stronger plant that’s less likely to collapse later in the year. Here in south Wales I find it’s best to do it earlier then the Chelsea flower show, tending to trim back in the start of May rather than midway through, I also do the same to my Crocosmia’s, they’ll look tatty for a while but soon recover.


Jobs this month:

Plant out annual bedding
Pinch out annuals to promote bushing out
Consider giving pots with bulbs in an overhaul whilst dormant
Feed roses and shrubs now actively growing
Depending on the weather make sure to keep pots and new plants well watered
Thin out fruit on overly abundant trees
Mulch beds to help maintain moisture and nutrients
Bring houseplants out for fresh air and a good dousing in rain
Look at potting up plants that are getting too pot bound
Prune early flowering shrubs
Keep on top of hedges and topiary, it doesn’t take long for plants to lose their shape
Make sure bonsai are ready for the coming year with a good feed and prune