Gardening by Month - May

May is a lovely month in the gardening calendar, when the evenings are longer, the temperature is rising, and we can enjoy the garden coming to life.

One of our favourite climbers is the delicately scented jasmine, with its abundance of fragrant flowers. Jasmine works well on a patio or in any sheltered, sunny spot where you can appreciate its perfume, which is particularly heady on warm summer evenings. Plant it in well-drained soil. Jasmine doesn’t need a lot of space so long as it has a structure to trail up, such as a fence or wall with a trellis.

The sweet pea is another plant that brings height and colour to your summer flower garden. Plant a batch of seedlings in a sunny spot and give them a structure to wind their way up, such as an obelisk from Garsons, or make your own wigwam of bamboo canes.

Give your flowering plants a boost by applying liquid tomato feed. Feed container plants unless there’s a slow-release feed in the potting compost. Containers and anything newly planted will need to be kept watered during dry spells. If you deadhead and feed plants, then you might be treated to an extra flush of blooms.

Once the risk of frost has passed, you can plant vegetable seeds or seedlings including runner beans, carrots, beetroot and salad leaves.

Follow our water-wise tips to help keep your garden looking good through the summer:

• Ground cover plants like alpines and heather are natural weed suppressors and don’t need much water.
• Grow the right plant in the right place, then it will flourish naturally. Ask a plant expert at Garsons for more advice or read the plant label.
• Install a water butt wherever you have a gutter downpipe. You can also have one connected to a garden shed.
• Add a thick mulch around your plants to keep moisture in the soil for longer.
• Move container plants to a shady spot during hot spells.
• Water later in the evening, so it's absorbed before evaporating in daytime heat.
• Re-use clean house water, such as cooled water from the kettle, for plants close to the kitchen. Ericaceous plants prefer rainwater or boiled water that’s cooled.

However you fill your garden, you can count on Garsons for friendly, expert advice and the best quality plants. We have everything to help your spring garden flourish. Until next month, happy gardening.