May is a magical month in the UK garden. With longer days, warmer weather, and bursts of colour everywhere you look, it’s the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. From sowing seeds to pruning shrubs, there are plenty of seasonal tasks that will help your garden thrive throughout the summer.
Here’s a practical guide to key jobs to tackle in your garden this May, along with useful links to help you get the tools, plants, and advice you need.
1. Plant Out Summer Bedding Plants
Now that the risk of frost is (mostly) behind us, you can start planting out summer bedding plants like petunias, marigolds, geraniums, and lobelia. These will add instant colour to borders, containers, and hanging baskets.
2. Sow Tender Vegetables
It’s the ideal time to sow runner beans, courgettes, sweetcorn, and pumpkins outdoors. Make sure the soil has warmed up sufficiently before sowing, and protect young seedlings from slugs and snails.
3. Prune Spring-Flowering Shrubs
Once shrubs like forsythia, flowering currant (Ribes), and chaenomeles have finished blooming, it’s time to give them a prune. This helps maintain a neat shape and encourages new growth for next year’s display.
4. Support Climbing Plants
Climbers such as sweet peas, clematis, and honeysuckle will be growing rapidly now. Tie in stems to trellises, arches, or supports to keep them upright and tidy.
5. Weed and Mulch Borders
Keep on top of fast-growing weeds by hoeing or hand-pulling. Then apply a layer of mulch to suppress new weed growth, retain moisture, and nourish your soil.
6. Mow the Lawn Regularly
Grass is growing at full speed in May, so mow weekly to keep it looking neat. You can also start edging your lawn and feeding it with a high-nitrogen fertiliser.
7. Harden Off Young Plants
If you’ve been raising plants indoors or in a greenhouse, start hardening them off by moving them outside during the day and back in at night. Gradually increase their outdoor exposure over 7-10 days.
8. Water Wisely
As temperatures rise, it’s important to keep plants well-watered, especially new plants and containers. Water early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation.
9. Attract Pollinators
Add nectar-rich flowers like foxgloves, aquilegia, and alliums to your beds and borders to attract bees and butterflies. May is a great time to plant perennials that will benefit pollinators all summer long.
10. Start a Compost Bin
With all the spring garden waste and grass cuttings, May is a great time to start composting. It’s a sustainable way to dispose of garden waste and feed your soil.
Final Thoughts
May is one of the busiest and most rewarding months in the UK gardening calendar. By ticking off these essential tasks, you’ll be laying the foundations for a beautiful, productive garden through summer and beyond.
Need help pulling it all together? A professional garden designer can create a tailored planting plan, improve your garden layout, and help transform your outdoor space into something truly special.
So why not get in touch with us today to get started.
Whatever your garden goals, make the most of May and enjoy every moment outside!