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Gardener's World |
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Gardening in May.
April has been a wet, windy and cold month with many garden plants damaged by frost and cold easterly winds.
The early spring growth on many plants has been set back by April's harshness un doing the early starts from March.
May signals a warmer period in the garden with all trees and shrubs putting on strong growth over the next couple of months. Early flowering summer shrubs like ceanothus or blue shrub are just coming into flower, the deep blue flowers a welcome sight to brighten shrub borders or used as a wall shrub ceanothus provides a wonderful display of foliage and flower colour.
Shrub planting.
May is an ideal period to plant new shrubs, the soil and growing conditions are ideal at present, new shrubs will establish quickly and put on significant growth before mid summer.
The choice and variety of available plants is excellent with both flowering and foliage shrubs in abundance and many early flowering plants showing flower colour.
May is also an ideal month to plant foliage and flowering shrubs in containers for all year round colour. To act as a nice centre piece use the colourful cordyline red star or cordyline Sundance which offer attractive foliage colour all year round and grow easily in containers.
The cone shaped box will create a lovely evergreen centrepiece in any container and provide year round interest.
My old favourite choisya Sundance again provides bright foliage colour winter and summer and brightens any location.
Additional colour can be added by under planting with geraniums, trailing petunias, million bells and the beautiful white bacopa.
Lawn care.
All lawns have suffered over the past number of weeks, the cold winds and night frosts have put all lawns under stress creating a yellow and hungry lawn.
The application of scotts renovator will provide the necessary nutrient requirements to give a rich green lawn without forcing growth.
Renovator will also eliminate broadleaved weeds and eliminate lawn moss in the one application. So treat your lawn to good manicure by applying renovator lawn feed now and re applying a second dressing in mid June.
May is also an excellent time to repair damaged areas within your lawn area. Lawn seed will germinate easily now and fill in any bare patches quickly. Always mix lawn seed with compost or peat to help with quick germination and provide a base for the lawn seed to germinate into.
If moss is still a problem, apply sulphate of iron now and follow up one week later with a dressing of renovator to feed the lawn and encourage the remaining grass to fill in any gaps.Vegetables & Herbs in May.
Salad Lettuce.
Summer vegetables are not complete without the addition of fresh lettuce picked from your own garden. Lettuce is easy to grow and can be planted in succession right throughout the spring and summer season.
This year try planting 'continental ' mixed which offers you a selection of many varieties to provide you with choice and selection right through the summer salad period.
Fresh vegetable plants are now available for planting into your garden and remember you don't need a large space to grow vegetables simply plant them through existing plant's in your garden to provide you with fresh and regular pickings all summer long.
Plant fresh herbs in containers now.
Garden herbs are one of the easiest garden plants to grow, suitable for all gardens, and many varieties suitable for growing in patio pots and containers. Cutting your own fresh herbs can be so easy if you plant now. Young fresh herb plants are now available for planting in flower borders to complement existing plants or in containers kept close to the kitchen for easy access.
Some of the most popular.
Plant the most popular herbs in containers and window boxes and keep outdoors close to the kitchen for regular use throughout the summer.
Many varieties are winter hardy and will survive all year round with out protection. Parsley is possible the most popular herb in use try the plain leaved varieties for better flavour and higher winter tolerance.
Parsley should be sown freshly every two tears to give a continuous supply.
Golden sage is an excellent all round kitchen herb the plant makes a perfect clump of bright yellow foliage throughout summer.
Mint lends its self to container planting on its own; this vigorous plant quickly spreads and will fill its container very rapidly.
Green fennel and chives are welcomed in every kitchen and will provide you with regular pickings throughout the summer period. Both are easy to grow and will provide you with pickings this season.
Strawberries in containers.
Trailing petunias were introduced to the May is the ideal time to plant a selection of summer fruiting strawberries in window boxes, baskets and tubs.
Look for the variety Fl Karen which produces full sized fruit right throughout the summer period. A super variety with excellent flavour and reliable cropping.
Strawberries are easy to grow and something which children get a great kick out of growing as the see the results of their hard work this summer.
So give it a go this season.Remember Horkans Garden Centres in Sligo and Castlebar are open seven days Sunday 2 to 6pm. horky@iol.ie