In The Flower Garden This May

May is a brilliant time in flower gardens—everything’s bursting into life! Here are some top tips to keep your garden looking lush and blooming through the month: 

🌸 1. Deadhead spring bulbs 

• Remove spent flowers from tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths to stop them going to seed. 

• Leave the foliage to die back naturally—it helps the bulbs store energy for next year. 

🌿 2. Feed and mulch 

• Apply a general-purpose fertiliser to borders and roses. 

• Add mulch (like compost or bark) around perennials to lock in moisture and suppress weeds. 

🌼 3. Plant summer bedding 

• Start planting out summer bedding like petunias, marigolds, and cosmos once the risk of frost has passed (usually mid-May). 

🌹 4. Prune spring-flowering shrubs 

• After flowering, prune shrubs like forsythia, chaenomeles (quince), and flowering currant to keep their shape and encourage strong growth for next year. 

🌱 5. Support perennials 

• Use stakes, rings, or twine to support tall or floppy plants like delphiniums, peonies, and lupins before they get too big and bend or break. 

🐛 6. Watch for pests 

• Keep an eye out for aphids, slugs, and snails. Try organic deterrents or companion planting (e.g., marigolds to deter aphids). 

• Inspect roses for black spot and treat if needed. 

🌻 7. Sow hardy annuals & direct sow seeds 

• Sow hardy annuals like poppies, cornflowers, and nigella straight into beds. 

• Also a great time to sow biennials for next year (like foxgloves and wallflowers). 

🐝 8. Encourage pollinators 

• Plant nectar-rich flowers and avoid pesticides to support bees and butterflies. 

🧤 9. Weed regularly 

• With warmer days and occasional rain, weeds will shoot up fast—keep on top of them now before they set seed. 

💧 10. Water wisely 

• Water early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid evaporation. 

• Prioritize pots and newly planted flowers.