Everything is growing in the spring garden

Everything is growing in the spring garden

We are now into May, so anything and everything should be growing madly in the garden. With the risk of frosts now past, throw caution to the wind and fill up your pots and borders with annual bedding plants. These will give an array of colour until early autumn.

Yes, now is the time to hang your baskets and watch them transform into rainbow trails of colour. Use some slow release food pellets to make sure there is a constant flow of nutrients every time you water.

Tomato plants, peppers, marrows and courgettes will all thrive outside now, and vegetable seeds will germinate at pace. They are all so easy for even novice gardeners; just a growbag or two will suffice if room is limited. Fill spare spaces in borders by sowing zinnia or nasturtiums where they are to flower.

Of course, weeds will also now rapidly grow in these ideal conditions. Probably the most effective way to prevent them is to crowd them out with other leafy plants – they will not grow without any light. In any case, deal with them when they are young and shallow-rooted. Remove them from patios with a long-handled weedscraper or subject them to a blast from a weedburner which will kill enough cells in the foliage to ultimately eradicate the roots. Another option is chipped bark – it will weaken weeds substantially and make any remaining ones easy to pull up. A bonus benefit is that bark will also act as excellent moisture retention.

May is the time for regular gardening. Regular watering, feeding, weeding, mowing, sowing, planting – and enjoying !

David Hogg

Buckland Nurseries