Free flower seeds – May

Why have boring fences and hedges around your house when you can fill them up with different shades of colors nature has on offer with its stunning blossoms!

As trends often go, what’s old is new again, and the garden is no exception. Romantic and whimsical gardens are back in style, along with many classic blooms like roses, hydrangeas, and 2024’s “it” flower—the peony. 

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.

During May, the charity Plantlife encourages people not to mow their lawns. As well as attracting and helping wildlife, it's an opportunity to enjoy the sight of flowers blooming in long grass. Observing what appears – from interesting wildflowers (orchids, perhaps) to wildlife (such as grasshoppers) – is fun and, obviously, No Mow saves a lot of time. However, going the whole hog isn't for everyone. Those with children who enjoy careering around the lawn and people who entertain in their gardens won't want to let all their grass grow long. Therefore, a smaller No Mow area is more appealing and something that can be kept up throughout the summer.

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.

“Gardening is learning, learning, learning. That’s the fun of them. You’re always learning.”

If you’ve owned a TV set, chances are you’ve come across QVC before.

As much as we love a beautiful garden full of lush greenery, it’s hard to deny that starting a garden and buying plants can start adding up in price.

If you don't have a green thumb, are in an environment that’s hard on plants, or are just tired of gardening, you might want to look into a garden that isn’t alive at all. Rock gardens are trending (especially in hot, desert planting zones) as a way to design your garden with little or no greenery required. 

Why Your Canna Lilies May Fail to Bloom

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.

Bridgerton is coming to Chelsea this month, as Netflix makes its debut at the flower show, with a garden themed around its popular TV show. First time Chelsea designer Holly Johnston has created a garden based on the personal journey of the show’s main character, Penelope Featherington. The Bridgerton Garden is part of the Sanctuary Gardens area at the show.