What to Do in the Garden in May - A Regional Gardening Almanac
Friday May 1, 2009
May is a wonderful month to be in the garden, but it’s probably the most hectic month too. There’s so much to get done and so many tasks that demand doing NOW. If April showers do indeed bring May flowers, it’s going to be a mixed bag, with some of us crossing our fingers and some reveling in abundance. Well, that’s nature. Unpredictability is part of the thrill of gardening. Here’s my regional roundup of gardening tips for the month of May, to get your To Do list organized.
As a bonus, I’ve gathered some seasonal tips from my fellow Guides.
- For those of you putting in a flower bed, our Landscaping Guide has a step-by-step on creating a layered look with plants of varying sizes.
- New pool? About’s Pool and Patio Guide gives us her top picks for pool side plantings.
- Still starting seeds? Our Container Gardening Guide has an ingenious idea for making your own self-watering seed starting planter.
- About's Herb Gardens Guide tells me dandelion harvesting season is almost over. Amy's passed along her dandelion jelly recipe, to put them to delicious use.
- Looking for an excuse to stay outside? Move the kitchen out there. Take a tip from our Home Buying / Selling Guide and Samantha Stephens and create an outdoor kitchen that’s priceless. From garden to kitchen without going indoors!
Enjoy the merry month of May!
Comments
You suggest that every gardener get at least one great plant before they’re all gone. I couldn’t agree more — but I’d suggest that gardeners check out the plant sales at their area’s public gardens this month if they want to find some really great (and unusual) plants. Some public gardens sell plants propagated from their own collections, which means you won’t find them at the garden center. Gardeners in the Philadelphia/southern New Jersey/northern Delaware area can find a list of public gardens that hold plant sales at http://www.greaterphiladelphiagardens.org. Another bonus to visiting public gardens is that you can check out which plants the professional gardeners use in your area, and how they use them. It’s like a living tutorial!
Great suggestion. Many public gardens also allow you to volunteer to help in their gardens, which is a great way to learn about plants and get divisions for free.
And don’t forget local plant sales and swaps. Libraries, schools and Master Gardener programs have plant sale fund raisers with divisions from the volunteers’ homes. You’ll meet a lot of your gardening neighbors that way.