Hello! As the garden begins to come to life with buds and wildlife, make sure you are protecting your growing fruits. The sky just seems to be buzzing with birds!
The warmer weather has encouraged growth spurts and bud development in all plants, meaning now is a good time to feed your plants. You can do this by sprinkling fertiliser on the soil surface and work it into the topsoil with a hand rake. Similarly for plants in pots, you can remove the top couple of centimetres of soil and replace with new compost that has feed already mixed in. It is also the perfect time to feed your Roses and shrubs, spread a handful of fertiliser around the base and dig it in, roses need at least two feeds each summer.
The third week of May is usually time for The Chelsea Chop, it is done to extend the flowering season of late-flowering herbaceous perennials. Reduce the plant by one third to a half, so that the pruned section will develop side shoots which will grow extra flowers and bloom a few weeks later.
If it is warm, late May is normally a safe time to plant out bedding plants. Bedding plants do not like being planted out in the cold, this is due to them being grown in perfect, protected conditions (if bought from the garden centre). They will need time to harden off before they are planted in their final position or protect them with cloches and fleece on cold days and nights. Planting them in the cold will delay their growth and flowering for several weeks.
Willie the Worm
