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We are coming into May and most of the preparation work should be well advanced. Allowances can always be made for weeding which is definitely my Achilles heel. Every now and then I get a burst of enthusiasm and get half a border weeded and that’s it for a few months! Now that BBQ weather is possible it is good to be able to admire the garden especially if you have guests and weedy borders do detract from the occasion.
The lawn should have had several cuts by now and with a high Nitrogen weed & feed, scarification and de-compacting the sward after winter, it should be looking quite lush and green. Regular cutting and a bit of watering in dry weather should keep it looking good through to the Summer.
Hopefully, the vegetable patch is dug over and raked level and it’s always a good idea to scatter a balanced general fertiliser 7-7-7. Last year’s Broad Beans will be ready for harvest shortly, beans planted in the Spring will be flowering with small pods developing. These can be taken for early greens, although I prefer to wait for the beans to fatten up and then pod the whole crop and freeze the surplus. Don’t be tempted to leave them to get too big as they will go past their best and will need more simmering to soften them up. If you time it just right the beans will be green and fresh and can be added raw to a salad.
Salad crops should be underway and ready for picking this month. I did mine in open trays in the greenhouse and planted them out in April, followed then by a second sowing in trays. New Potatoes should be coming along and Maincrop planted back in April. Vegetable seeds planted straight in the ground can be thinned out. It’s time for the Climbing Bean frame to be erected. All the seedlings should be hardened off and planted out. Don’t forget to pull the rhubarb which always freezes well.
The Apple blossom burst in the middle of April and was spectacular this year and all the stone fruit is well underway. This is when the pests get to work, so spray when you see the first signs of attack. My Apple suffers from Woolly Aphid which then produces galls to protect the plant from the little sap suckers. It looks quite old and knarled although it’s still quite a young tree. A watering can of Miracle Grow at the base of each tree helps the fruits to develop.
Apple Blossom.
Borders and containers will be bursting all over and if you have divided older clumps of perennials you should have a mass of plants springing into action. As the Spring bulbs die down deadhead the spent flower heads before they go to seed and gently remove the dead top growth. Basal cuttings taken in early Spring should be growing nicely and can get planted out to fill gaps. It never ceases to amaze me how many casualties are suffered each year. Some perennials take to the borders and thrive, others struggle and eventually, you have to give up on them. I planted a number of different perennials recently to get some colour into the borders. The Echinacea and Alstromeria seem to have got a hold and starting to clump up but the Rudbeckia and Osteospernum are looking very sad. I am also waiting to see if the white Delphiniums make a return after a good start last year. You just have to keep experimenting to find out what succeeds in your own garden.
May is a very busy month but it marks the turning point when you can start to take satisfaction in your labours and enjoy the summer months and long evenings. Not everyone has the time or inclination to tackle all the gardening tasks detailed in these articles. However, a few colourful pots on a patio can create a great area to sit and relax in the evening or BBQ at the weekends. A fruit tree can always be planted in a border and dwarf rootstock with a supporting stake will give a good crop and not grow too big. A small vegetable patch can provide successive salad crops throughout the year with winter varieties now available.
Gardening gets you outside, keeps you active and will certainly help you sleep well. It’s great to sit outside in the evening as the sun goes down, throw a log on the chiminea to keep the chill at bay and enjoy a sundowner. Then after the sun has gone down throw two logs on the fire and have another.
UHS is always looking for new members and tries to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables, and flowers or even enter any of the shows we hold each year, please get in touch. We would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
