Gardening by Month - May

May is a great month for spending time in the garden. The conditions are ideal for planting a vast range of flowering plants, shrubs, hedging and for growing your own fruit and vegetables.

Plant sweet peas to give height and colour to your summer flower garden. Position them for sunshine and give them a structure to wind their way up – perhaps an obelisk, or make your own wigwam of bamboo canes.

To grow tomatoes, simply buy three tomato plants, along with a growbag, bamboo canes and some tomato food. You can plant tomatoes straight into the growbag since they don’t need deep soil, or transfer the growbag compost to a container if you prefer.

Tomatoes don’t like rainy conditions, so a small cold frame is ideal, or position them in a sunny, sheltered spot. For best results, feed weekly with a liquid tomato food such as Tomerite once they start flowering. Keep them well-watered because irregular watering causes the fruit to split.

Look out for drought-tolerant plants in Garsons. Our plants of the month are alpines, which can survive with less watering. All young plants need to be kept watered to encourage good root growth, so water them well when you plant them, until they are established and during very dry spells. They usually have the following characteristics:

• Grey leaves, such as sage and lavender.
• Small leaves, for example rosemary.
• Long narrow leaves which are good for shedding heat without losing water, such as phormiums.
• Hairy leaves, for example geranium.
• Fleshy or succulent leaves, including the large range of sedums in a variety of colours.

Follow our water-wise tips to help keep your garden looking good through the summer.

• Grow the right plant in the right place, then it will flourish naturally. Ask a plant expert at Garsons for more advice.
• Ground cover plants like alpines and heather are natural weed suppressors and don’t need much water.
• Add a thick mulch of bark chippings around your plants to keep moisture in the soil for longer.
• Move container plants to a shady spot during hot spells and water them daily.
• Water later in the evening, so it's absorbed before evaporating in daytime heat.
• Install a water butt wherever you have a gutter downpipe. You can also have one connected to a garden shed.
• Re-use clean house water, such as cooled water from the kettle, for patio plants close to the kitchen.

Garsons has everything to help your garden flourish, and hardy plants are guaranteed. You can count on us for friendly, expert advice and the best quality plants.