May is one of those months where the garden suddenly starts asking for attention.
One week everything looks like it is just waking up, and the next week the pots need planting, the borders need filling, the hanging baskets are ready, the grass has taken off, and there are ten jobs that all seem to need doing at once.
That is normal for this time of year, especially here in Lancashire where spring can be a bit stop-start. We can have sunshine, wind, rain and a chilly evening all in the same week, so it is worth choosing plants and products that suit real gardens rather than just what looks good for five minutes on a warm afternoon.
If you want your garden looking good before June, now is the time to get organised. Not perfect. Just organised enough to give your pots, borders, baskets and planting areas a strong start before summer properly gets going.
At Old Oak Farm Nurseries in Hoghton, near Preston, we see the same questions every year around this time:
- What can I plant now?
- What works well together in pots?
- Are hanging baskets ready?
- How often should I water everything?
- What compost should I use?
- What do I need before the weather warms up?
So, here is a practical guide to the May garden jobs worth doing before June arrives.
