May Hints and Tips

There is nothing more rewarding to most gardeners than to see healthy, vigorous plants in their garden. BUT there are some plants that thrive too well and start to ‘take over’.  In my garden, primroses have been a joy, but when they are seeding into the vegetable plot and into the lawn, they become weeds; similarly, Japanese anemones, the yellow flowered, variegated Lamium galeobdolon and even Camassia quamash can take over and squash less vigorous plants.  I even have Dutch irises and tulips which are proliferating to an embarrassing extent.  These all love a light, well-drained soil.

There is a perfect answer. Share and swap with other gardeners who may be populating a new garden or have less success. You can find some of my ‘weeds’ at the Garden Society trading shed on Saturdays, and Helen Baker is always happy to take spare plants for her plant sales in aid of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. Contact her at charityplants@gmail.com

best time for bluebell

This week, Spring seems to have arrived, so here are some jobs to do

Kitchen garden

• Earth up potatoes when the foliage reaches 23cm/9in to prevent green tubers or, if frost is expected, cover smaller sprouts with soil for protection.
• Sow carrots, radishes, beetroot, lettuce and spring onions for successional harvesting.
• Harden off courgettes and squashes plants that were started under glass and protect with cloches or fleece if cold nights are forecast
• Start to harvest asparagus spears
• Direct sow French beans and sweet corn.
• Hoeing always seems to make it rain, but is the quickest way to stop weeds seeding everywhere.

Ornamental garden

• Prune overgrown Camellia to young side shoots which will flower next year.
• Prune Forsythia and Philadelphus as flowering finishes
• Remove a third of old wood on Spiraea to open up the bush
• Dead head Rhododendron to make room for new growth
• Plant out Dahlias and Cannas
• Dead head spring bulbs but LEAVE THE LEAVES to feed the bulbs until they die back. If daffodils did not flower well, lift and divide the clumps.
• Take soft wood cuttings of Fuchsia, Anthemis, pelargonium and verbena.
• Support tall and heavy-headed perennials with pea sticks or special supports
• At the end of May, do the ‘Chelsea chop’ on late flowering herbaceous plants like sedum (Hylotelephium) that tend to flop outwards. The flowers may be later but they will be sturdier. Other suitable plants are Chrysanthemum, Helenium, Helianthus, Monarda, Phlox, Rudbeckia and Veronicastrum.  Do not chop lupins, irises, paeonies, acanthus or

Places to visit

Crondall Open Gardens on June 11th.

For National Gardens Scheme

1^st& 2^nd May:  Vann, Hambledon Godalming GU8 4EF

7^th & 8^th May: Crosswater Farm, Churt GU10 2JN

13-16^th May: Minding the Garden, Edenbrook Country Park, Pale Lane, Fleet      RG27 8DH

20^th May: Cobbetts Corner, Tilford GU10 2AJ

21^st May: The Dower House, Church Lane, Dogmersfield  RG27 8TA