BHG Editors' Favorite Finds: What We're Loving in May 2024

Carson Downing

Pruning shears are a gardener’s best friend when nurturing a healthy and visually appealing garden. In our gardening journey, we’ve found them indispensable for making precise cuts, shaping plants, and removing dead or overgrown branches. When selecting the ideal pair of pruning shears for your gardening toolkit, always prioritize quality and durability over cost. A well-crafted pruner can save you money in the long run by avoiding the need for frequent replacements. After conducting thorough research and using popular brands and models for years, we have shortlisted a range of the best pruning

Jason Donnelly

This week, check out the Transitioning Your Business to the Next Generation Workshop put on by Clemson’s Agribusiness Team on Thursday, 5/23.

What Causes Begonia Leaves to Curl (and What to Do About It)

Do all gardeners secretly think they’ve got it the worst? For instance, because I garden in New England, I feel like the glacial till (aka unbelievably rocky soil) and massively unpredictable spring weather make my gardening more of a challenge than, say, that of gardeners living in Seattle. But is that true? Probably not.

Cucurbit downy mildew was found in the state this past week on cucumbers in Charleston. All commercial cucurbit growers need to be on the lookout and start preventative fungicide applications, if not already started.

May is historically the hungry gap in the vegetable garden, because it is the time when the winter crops run out and before the summer crops get going. If you have been well organised, you may have some early crops of salad leaves, broad beans, radishes and even strawberries to harvest towards the end of the month – as well as asparagus, which is at its prime now. But the main focus this month is the sowing, nurturing and tending of your crops, as growth accelerates. Potatoes should be earthed up so the tubers are not exposed to light, while peas and broad beans need supporting with pea sticks or canes and twine as they get bigger. Weeding must be done regularly (little and often is my motto) and, if the weather is dry, watering is essential. It is best done as a thorough soak every few days rather than a scant daily sprinkling. At the start of May, I sow tender crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes in seed trays and individual pots. I keep these in the greenhouse until later in the month, when it has warmed up and they can go outside. As the month goes on, the focus shifts to planting out. I find it very satisfying to be able to plant a neat row of seedlings along a garden line, rather than try the lottery of direct sowing into the ground, then thinning out. Using the no-dig method, I will have already prepared my beds with a layer of well-rotted compost. Just before planting out, I will rake the bed to break down any larger clods and give the seedlings a better chance of establishing.

It's that time of year when we're summer dreaming, especially about our summer gardens. Choosing which starters and seeds to invest in can be a bit overwhelming, no matter how seasoned you are at it.

Editor's Choice: Mighty Chestnut Daylily ‘Mighty Chestnut’ daylily's outstanding blooms put it a step above its classic older cousins. ‘Mighty Chestnut’ daylily (Hemerocallis hybrid)

No Mow May is a bee conservation movement that has surged in popularity over the last few years, in part, due to its simplicity. To participate, all you need to do is leave your lawn alone in May. This allows lawn flowers to bloom and feed hungry native bees emerging from hibernation when other flowers are scarce.

You've Heard of No-Mow May — Try a Bee Lawn Instead! Maybe you have heard of «No-Mow May», but learn about the long-term benefits of installing a bee lawn from conservation expert, James Wolfin. Is “No-Mow May” a good idea?