Flowers

•  Plant summer bedding
•  Prune spring-flowering shrubs to prevent them from becoming overgrown
•  Finish sowing hardy annuals: the later they are sown, the later they will flower
•  Put support frames into herbaceous borders to support plants with a floppy habit i.e., Lupins
•  Dig up, divide and replant polyanthus after they have flowered, discard any with disease
•  Start to harden off bedding plants by putting them out for the day and back in for the night
•  Protect susceptible plants from slugs
•  Clear out spring bedding from beds and borders when it fades, and fork in fertiliser
•  Plant hanging baskets and put them in the greenhouse until the risk of frost is gone
•  Watch out for pest and disease on all plants
•  Deadhead spring bulbs (but do not cut the foliage back yet)
•  Ensure newly planted plants are kept watered in dry spells
•  Prune spring-flowering shrubs to prevent them from becoming overgrown

Fruit

•  Mulch around Strawberries to prevent the fruit being spoiled, use straw or black polythene
•  Destroy any leaves of Peach and Nectarine which show signs of leaf curl
•  Spray a systemic fungicide on Gooseberries if mildew is a problem
•  Water newly planted fruit trees and bushes in dry spells
•  Harvest any early Rhubarb

Vegetables

•  It is possible to plant out Brassicas (cauliflower/cabbage) if they have been grown in a greenhouse. Remember to use a Brassica collar to keep cabbage root fly away
•  Most vegetable crops can be sown but delay if the soil is cold and wet
•  Plant main crop potatoes
•  Earth up early crop potatoes
•  Weed between any vegetable crops that are growing
•  Harvest any Asparagus spears that are showing

Lawns

•  Apply a weedkiller and fertiliser combination
•  Seed new lawns and cover to keep birds away
•  Mow lawns once a week if needed. Avoid cutting if there is frost on the grass
•  It is now a suitable time to spot treat lawns if no general lawn weedkiller is used
•  Lay new turf and keep well watered if a dry spell ensues

Greenhouse

•  Tie in the lengthening growths of Vines
•  Ventilate well and damp down on sunny days as long as seed are not being raised
•  Continue pricking out half hardy and tender seedlings
•  In a heated greenhouse remove side shoots from tomatoes, but not bush varieties
•  Pinch out side shoots of melons and cucumbers when two side shoots have been formed
•  Watch for pests and treat immediately using either a chemical spray or a biological control
•  Ensure heating is still available in case of a cold night

Ponds

•  Plant up new aquatic baskets with Water Lilies and oxygenating plants
•  Feed fish if they are near the surface
•  Keep pumps and filters running constantly

General Tasks

•  Control slugs and snails by trapping
•  Visit the garden centre for new pots and basket plants
•  Watch out for late frosts and keep fleece handy
•  Check watering each day as temperatures rise

Plants which are at their best in May

• Aquilegia (Granny's Bonnet)
• Syringa vulgaris cultivars (Lilac)
• Ornamental Cherries Crataegus (Hawthorn)
• Clematis Macropetela (Clematis)
• Meconopsis betonicifolia (Himalayan Blue Poppy)
• Centaurea Montana (Perennial Cornflower)
• Berberis stenophylla (Barberry)
• Dodecatheon Meadia (Shooting Stars)
• Primula Veris (Cowslip)
• Chimonanthus Praecox (Winter Sweet)
• Salix Caprea Kilmarnock (Kilmarnock Willow)
• Daphne Mezereum
• Forsythia (Golden Bells)