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The year seems to be flying by, and May is approaching. April had a sting in the tail with some wintry weather, and the wise gardeners up here in Suffolk are telling me not to plant out until after the first full moon in May. I cannot remember a frost in May down in Kent, although a few years back, we had a frost on 29th April, which clobbered my seedlings. A local landscaper has been in and taken down a number of trees in the garden and along the southern boundary within the fence line. This has allowed a lot more light and air into the garden, which will be more noticeable in the summer without a canopy of leaves taking all the light. The brambles and undergrowth are slowly getting cleared, and things are starting to take shape.
The lawn should be growing vigorously in May, especially if it got a weed and feed in April, and any re-seeding will start to show this month. Keep cutting and scarifying if you are keen, and it should look full, green and weed-free in time for the BBQ season. I have yet to get started on the lawn, as much of the time is spent logging up after the trees came down. It is the first time I have split logs with an axe, and there is definitely a knack to it. The Sycamore splits quite easily, but the Acacia is hard work.
The sod has been cut for the new vegetable patch, and the turves have been placed green side down in the ditch, which is now 80% full of all the trimmings and clearing up. The soil at the surface is a fertile loam, which starts to turn to clay at a depth of 6” and becomes yellow at 12”. It is full of roots which need to be cut and cleared with a sharp spade. I am digging trenches down to a depth of 12” and have given up on the idea of double digging. That should be sufficient for most vegetables except maybe for Parsnips, which can go a lot deeper... I will see if I have the energy. The seedlings are up and running in the shed, including Broad Beans, which I have started in pots. They normally go straight into the ground in March, but the patch isn’t ready yet. Similarly, the New Potatoes are still waiting to go in, not to mention the Maincrop, but still time. I usually get seed potatoes from B&Q, but they are few and far between up here, so I bought mine from DT Brown of Stowmarket. The longer you wait, the more deals the seed merchants offer, but you risk missing out on the popular varieties. I have gone for Charlotte as an early this year instead of Rocket. It is a salad potato, and it will be interesting to see what it is like. However, they offered a good deal on Picasso, which in my opinion, is the best mashed potato.
The sod is being cut - Turves green side down.
The spring bulbs are still putting on a good show, although the Daffodils are finishing up. It is best to deadhead the flowers, let everything die down and then tidy up at the end of the month. The borders will be getting going, and there is a good opportunity for basal cuttings from a lot of perennials and division of clumps to increase stocks. The Easter Bank Holiday is traditionally a time to purchase hardy annuals from the Garden Centres and start making up containers. Annuals are also ideal for filling gaps in the borders due to winter casualties.
Fruit will be blossoming, and the small fruits forming, so provide trees with a good mulch to provide a slow-release feed, which they need at this time of year. Miracle Grow is a good all-round fertiliser to use as we get well into spring as it is high in phosphate and potash, which generates root growth and encourages flowering.
May is a very busy month, but everything for the summer should be planted out by the end of the month, and then all is set. Personally, I will concentrate on the vegetable patch and just tidy the borders this year. Next year we hope to start creating a cottage garden in the front, but you can’t do everything at once... and it is meant to be fun... stressful gardening is a contradiction in terms. If I can get the trees logged up, dig out the vegetable patch and get the seedlings planted out by the end of May, I will be delighted.
If I can’t do all that, I will have to drown my sorrows... which sounds like a good option!
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 Tracy Wells: tracywells0312@gmail.com
Sean Barry
