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Forty Ninth edition -
May 2005
Maybe Spring has finally arrived, but don`t get caught out by any late
frosts that may ruin your tender plants and shrubs. Get them covered up at
night if the forecast is for frost - old newspapers will do if you don`t
have any horticultural fleece.
Did you know that the very big wasps you see before the end of May
are Queen wasps looking for nest sites? So every one of those you destroy is a
nest less near you!
If you haven`t yet planted up your tubs and hanging baskets, there are still
plenty of plants available in the garden centres, many of whom will allow
you to choose your plants which they will plant up for you. If you like
hanging baskets but not the twice daily watering that is needed to keep them
in top condition in hot weather, try the ones with a water reservoir in the
bottom. Mix the potting compost together with water retaining gel granules
and controlled release plant food, before planting them up, then you will
have the best hanging baskets in the neighbourhood that will flower away
until the first frosts... Or you can really cheat by waiting until
the first week in June and bargaining with your local garden centre for
their display hanging baskets.
If you don`t have a garden you can enjoy the benefits of someone else`s hard
work by visiting gardens that are open to the public. Your local library
should have a list of these.
Jobs
for the month - May
Do not let the warmer days of May lull you into forgetting the tasks that
must now be tackled. This is the time of year when plans for beds and
borders should be put into action. Take cuttings, sow biennial seeds and
don`t forget any pruning tasks.
Bulbs.
 Try
giving bulbs a liquid feed or a sprinkle of Growmore for an even better
display next year, and leave daffodil leaves to die down naturally which
will take about six weeks. When tulips are finished flowering you can lift
them and heel them in elsewhere for the bulbs to ripen. I never bother to do
this and leave them in situ. There are a few less each year which are easily
added to... Last month I planted some Canna Lilies, eremurus foxtail lilies,
tall Regale lilies and some ranunculas. I look forward to seeing the new
flowers
Lawns
Keep new lawns damp and treat existing lawns with weed and feed, if you
haven`t yet done so, not forgetting to apply it according to instructions.
I usually give my lawn a going over with an electric scarifier which rips
out all the moss and rubbish. The amount of debris it removes never fails to
amaze me. This is the only job I don`t allow
www.greenthumb.co.uk
to do for me, because I so enjoy the task.
Greenhouse
Protect tender plants from late frosts with newspaper or horticultural
fleece, and start hardening off summer bedding plants by taking them out of
the greenhouse and putting them in cold frames. Don`t plant them out till
the end of May. Maintain the greenhouse humidity and avoid red spider
mite by damping down with the hosepipe, and shade the plants from too much
sun. I`m trying to grow outdoor cherry tomatoes this year and shall
plant them in the flower borders. For the greenhouse I am growing some
peppers, which are always easy to cultivate
Paths,
fences and walls
Check fence support posts and make sure that supports for climbing plants
are strong enough. Why not give your fence a spring coat of paint to freshen
it up? Most water based timber treatments won`t harm your plants. Are the
walls safe? Put weedkiller on paths taking care to read instructions
regarding pets. Check if the winter weather has made your paths uneven or
slippery with moss and remedy this to avoid accidents.
Hedges
Fast growing hedges should have their first light clipping at the end of
this month. Don`t let newly planted conifers or other hedging plants dry
out, and mulch if possible. Remember not to let your boundary conifer
hedging get too high. I have several Box shrubs in various shapes and sizes,
which are a delight to lightly clip with small hand shears, on a warm spring
day.
Fruit
Strawberries in flower must be protected from late frosts. Watch out for the
birds on fruit bushes and cover with netting if necessary.
Flowers
for cutting
Sow
biennials and perennials for next years flower arrangements, and start
training those sweet peas up their supports.
Herbaceous plants
 Stake
plants as they get taller and feed them weekly. I`ve started using the new
type of metal plastic coated spirals for staking plants and find them
wonderfully easy to use, decorative and very effective. I use Miracle-Gro
for feeding plants, with the dispenser that attaches to the hose pipe so
everything in the garden gets fed... Keep the borders weed free and mulched
and watch out for aphids on your plants.
Treat yourself to a new perennial from the garden centre, or admire one in
your neighbour`s garden and with a bit of luck they`ll invite to to have a
root of theirs! I love perennials because they last for evermore, just
multiplying all the time.. Part of the fun of gardening is swapping plants
and cuttings with family, friends or neighbours.
Ponds and water features
Clear the debris and moss from water features and change the water if
necessary, taking care not to disturb any wildlife that`s made it`s home
there. Check the electrical system is safe. Make preparations for new
aquatic plants in the pond, taking care not to disturb any fish that may be
getting ready to spawn. Remove any unwanted frog or toad spawn. If you do
have frogspawn which by now has turned into small frogs, you will find that
on a specific day they will all leave the pond. If you happen to be around
at this time to see the event, it would be kind to leave the hosepipe on
spray setting to keep their journey to safety nice and damp.
Wildlife
By now you could stop feeding the birds in your garden and let them forage
naturally for themselves whilst food is plentiful. Let them
rid your garden of the aphids instead of using chemical sprays.. If however
you do still feed the birds, ensure the peanuts are in a proper container
and the peanuts are of the type specially for birds.
 Thompson & Morgan
You
may obtain their free New 2005 Seed Catalogue by telephoning 01473 695224
and their website address is
www.thompson-morgan.com
where full information is available on their product varieties and orders
can be taken on-line.
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The National Botanic Garden of Wales
