Mzzz B's May Garden Blog.

Arenaria

Tiny furrow bee

Red peony

Bearded iris Indian Chief

Sweet rocket/matcaria

It's been a really busy time in the garden over the past few weeks, all that rain and then the sun , it'd a bit like a jungle, some things growing overnight!We are very busy trying to cope with the growth of weeds and all the other jobs to do in the garden, in preparation for our Charity Open Garden on June 2nd, part of the National Garden Society. This raises money for a wide variety of charities including 'cancer Charities. Suddenly there is a hug amount to do.The heat though men's that something have flowered earlier than usual and may well be over by June 2nd, but this is a garden planted for succession so other plants will be doing their thing!
Jobs to do in May.

• As above- weed!! Try to to let weeds seed giving you more trouble for future years.
• Plant out tender annuals and succulents, make sure you have hardened them off if you. Have grown them on a greenhouse, place them outside during the day the put hem back not the green house or cold frame overnight for a least a week.
• Watch out for late frosts, protect tender plants with fleece.
• Sow more peas, salads,
• Earth up potatoes, and plant any still remaining.
• Plant out summer bedding at end of the month.
• Water early and late and at the roots rather than the whole plant,to get the most out of your water, recycle water when possible. Think of getting a rain butt to catch rainfall.
• Open Greenhouse vents and doors to let air circulate and prevent damp from causing mould.
• Mow lawns weekly.
• Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges.
• Prune spring flowering shrubs like forsythia and chaenomeles to keep the growing of big.
• Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and spring flowering bulbs., remember that a lot of tulips sold will not do very well in the second year so unless you have planted species tulips or Darwin hybrids, the chance of them coming back in the same numbers next year is slim.
• Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grubs, and get rid of them! I have spent the last few weeks hunting down the bright red lily beetle, but a few will have been missed the next chance to get rid of them is at the larval stage, they lay eggs on the underside of leaves, and then hatch out into little grubs that over themselves in their own excrement, not a nice job!

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