With the weather getting warmer and risk of frost having passed, there is a lot that can be planted in both the flower and vegetable garden in May. 

Weather watch:

Although the risk of frost is diminishing, it is still a possibility as warm, cloudless days can be followed by cold nights. Keep an eye on the forecast and don’t be tempted to plant out tender plants until the end of the month. 

Toughen up tender plants 

Seedlings nurtured indoors cannot be planted outside straight away. Instead toughen them up by placing them outside in a sheltered spot for a few hours during the day then bring them inside. Gradually increase the amount of time they spend outdoors . Do this for a period of one or two weeks before planting directly into the ground. 

Divide Primroses

These spring plants can become congested over time . To reinvigorate them  and keep them producing blooms in future years, divide after they finished flowering:

1. Dig them up: choose a cool day when the ground is moist
2. Separate the plants: Using a spade pull apart the clump or slice into sections.
3. Replant your divisions: backfilling the planting hole with compost or leaf mould. 
4. Water well. 

Prune spring-flowering shrubs 

Flowering shrubs such as forsythia, ornamental currants, viburnums, chaenomeles (flowering quince) need to be pruned straight after flowering so there is plenty of time for new growth to develop and produce flowers next spring. 

1. Use sharp, clean secateurs or loppers for thicker stems and remove any dead or damaged growth to a healthy bud or to the base of the stem.
2. Prune out any stem growing in the wrong direction and spoiling the shape of the plant
3. If the shrub is very congested, thin out the stems by removing a couple from the centre of the plant right down to the base. 

Plant out summer bedding and sweet peas 

Towards the end of the month, plant out begonias, tender salvias, pelargoniums, lobelias, sweet peas… Acclimatise plants to outdoor conditions  by putting them outside during the day and bringing them in at night for a week or two. Put the necessary support in place for climbing and trailing. 

Plant up baskets and window boxes with tender plug plants 

For long lasting summer colours it’s the right time to plant up hanging baskets and pots. If it becomes too cold for these plants to stay outside, keep your baskets and containers in a porch or greenhouse for a couple of weeks. 

Sow beans runner beans and French beans 

1. Sow dwarf, French and runner beans:  5 cm deep into deep pots of peat-free compost and germinate on a sunny windowsill. 
2. Set up supports ready for climbing types:  simply place three to four bamboo canes into the ground and tie to gather at the top. 
3. Plant the beans outside once they have established, from late May. 

Earth up potatoes

Once the stems are 20cm tall, draw soil up to form a ridge along the row. 

This protect shoots from frosty and excludes light, which turns potatoes green and inedible.

Grow salads

Ensure a continuous supply of fresh leaves by sowing a small amount of seed every two to three weeks. 

Plan for a winter harvest

Sow slower-growing vegetables such as cabbages, broccoli and kale for harvesting in winter. Sow seeds in module tray or seedbed for transplanting to final position later. 

Don’t forget 

• Keep on top of weeds: regularly hoe off or pull out annual weeds to prevent them establishing  and setting seeds.

• Get slug hunting: watch plants closely for signs of slug damage.

• Train climbers: tie in soft new shoots of climbing clematis and honeysuckle to their support. 

• Apply a mulch:  to retain moisture: late spring is the perfect time to apply mulch. Adding a 5-7cm layer will help to retain moisture before drier summer conditions arrive.

• Set up plant supports: put plant support in place before perennials get too big.

• Water wisely during dry spells: focus watering on newly planted specimens. Do your watering in the early morning or early evening to minimise water loss from evaporation. 

As the dark days depart, spring is on its way. We have already enjoyed some very warm days and on occasion, slightly dryer weather. February is the month to get your garden ready for new growth and colours. 

Weather watch:

With hints of warm temperature, February can sometimes be very cold. Hold off on most planting and sowing and focus on maintenance jobs that need to be done in the garden. After the stormy weather we had this year, it is the right time to check your fences and give them a coat of paint. Also clean paths and patios.

Bulbs

• Lillies bulbs can be planted out towards the end of this month in pots or directly in the ground.
• It is not too late to plant alliums, that will flower later than those planted last autumn. 
• Summer bulbs: Order bulbs now to plant them when all risk of frost has passed.

Lift Snowdrops

It is the right time to lift and divide congested populations of snowdrops, replanting smaller clumps at the same depth as they were before.  

Cutting back and pruning

• Clear away old stems and seed-heads of perennials left to stand over winter, making space for new growth. 
• Prune summer flowering shrubs 
• Lavender: trim back the old flower stalks 
• Sedums: cut the brown stems down to ground level
• Ornamental grasses: cut deciduous grasses down to the ground before new growth starts to emerge.
• Shrub roses: remove dead or diseased stems and cut back repeat-flowering roses by a third to a half. 
• Prune late-flowering clematis (group 3 clematis): cut just above a pair of healthy buds about 30 to 60 cm above ground.
• Autumn fruiting raspberries: simply cut down all canes to the ground and apply a thick layer of homemade compost or mulch. 
• Wisteria: February is the last month to give wisteria a winter prune. Cut back the stems to two or three buds. 
• Fuchsia, penstemons: best to wait another month until you see signs of new growth. 

Sowing Annuals

• It might still be too cold to sow outdoors. The end of the month is a good time to give annuals a head start, indoors in a warm sunny windowsill, or a heated greenhouse. Once the seedlings are big enough to handle, transfer them to small pots to grow, before moving them in late spring in the ground or bigger pots. 

Chitting potatoes

February is a good month to start chitting seed potatoes in a light, cool but frost free place. Potatoes will need 4 to 6 weeks of chitting before they are ready to plant. This will give them a chance to sprout and start putting on growth. They will be ready for planting in mid-March to April when the soli temperature warms up to 6-10 degrees.

Continue jobs from October tips, as the weather is still very mild and the wet soil is still good for planting in.

It’s still not too late to plant bulbs tulips actually benefit from being planted later when it gets colder – so the end of November into December is a perfect time to plant them.

A lot of annual & ‘ephemeral’ weeds continue to grow due to the mild wet weather so continue to weed – especially where weeds are competing with growing plants.

Continue to add mulches – garden compost, spent pot compost and manure to bare soil patches.

Resist cutting back vegetation until February/early March as wildlife will benefit from dying seed heads and dead flower stalks etc.

Make sure bird feeders are kept topped up and provide water for birds and other wildlife to drink. We are told to clean bird feeders when refilling them to prevent birds from being infected with disease from dirty bird feeders.

December is the month when I go out and collect greenery from the garden to bring in for Christmas decorations.

Ask for plants for Christmas – bare root shrubs, roses, fruit trees can be planted bare root between November and February (providing the ground is not frozen).