May

May and the Malvern Spring Show for ideas, plants and lots more then later in the month the Chelsea Flower Show for real extravagant excellence in show gardens, which can always be enjoyed at home with extensive coverage on the BBC.

Unfortunately there has been very little in the way of April showers so far and many young plants in pots have needed frequent watering in the sunshine. Although it has been so mild tender plants still need to be hardened off or acclimatised to the outdoors having been cosseted indoors or in a greenhouse. This means that for a few days or a week, put the plants outside during the day and then bring them into a closed cold frame or greenhouse overnight. After this start to leave the plants outside at night but cover with horticultural fleece overnight unless it is very mild and sheltered from strong winds.

Early May is the time to put in place supports for any tall floppy perennials, ideal supports are twiggy sticks as these are quickly covered by foliage but there are plenty of alternatives including short canes and twine or more expensive plastic supports. Also if you plan to make changes to a border later in the year as bulbs die back mark the position of the clumps with very short pieces of cane, these will soon disappear under other foliage.

If you grow lilies watch out for the bright red lily beetle, larger and more vivid than a ladybird, this has become a real pest in recent years. Either pick off by hand and squash along with any eggs and larvae or spray with something like Provado Ultimate Bug Killer. Keep a look out all summer as they can completely destroy your lilies – they are sometimes found in cut lilies so check any old flowers before adding to the compost heap.

Alliums come in all shapes and sizes, three which will add drama to borders in May are Allium cristophii, A. ‘Purple Sensation’ and A. giganteum. The dried heads continue to look good all summer. While the flowers are wonderful the foliage of A. ‘Purple Sensation’ needs hiding behind other plants as it always seems to look untidy even before the flowers come out. Plant this autumn for a display next year or buy a few in pots, they are not invasive and need a sunny site with reasonably well drained soil.

CAF