What to do in the garden in May:
With the sun shining and the garden full of colour and life you'll want to be outside from dawn till dusk at this time of year. Here are a few things you can be getting on with:
General tasks:
- Harden off tender plants before moving them outdoors, taking 7-14 days to get them gradually used to cooler conditions
- Water pots daily to make sure the compost stays moist – adding a water-retentive gel when planting helps hold water too
Ornamental garden:
- Plant out summer-flowering bulbs including tuberous-rooted begonias, cannas, dahlias, gladioli and lilies for a garden full of colour.
- Finish sowing annual flowers where you want them to flower for a splash of colour to fill any gaps or bare patches
- Plant summer bedding in pots and baskets to replace spent spring flowers and keep the display coming
Kitchen garden:
- Plant fruit in pots for a productive patio display this summer: minarette apples, strawberries and whitecurrants all grow well in containers
- Keep sowing fast-maturing vegetables like salads, turnips, beetroot and annual herbs little and often for a continuous supply
- Sow tender vegetables like climbing French beans, runner beans and courgettes in 10cm pots of compost and grow on in the greenhouse till the last threat of frost has passed
