Spring has sprung but beware a late frost
Spring has finally arrived late and in a colourful rush. Plants whose flowering was delayed by the cold weather have all burst into bloom at once, and I am now racing outside to sow, plant and frankly just feel a bit of warm sun on my back.
It’s such a relief to have a green garden once again. Look after the new shoots by adding supports for tall herbaceous perennials before they flower and tying in the rapidly lengthening stems of climbers, such as clematis and honeysuckle. Pull soil around the stems of potato plants to earth them up; this helps protect them from late frosts and also encourages the formation of more potato-producing roots.
Even in May, nights can still be cold, so it’s best to delay planting out half-hardy summer bedding, such as petunias and lobelias, along with dahlias, until the end of the month. Be a little cautious moving tender tomato and cucumber plants into an unheated greenhouse if the weather is cold, because they do not respond well if the temperature falls below 10C. Once they’ve been planted out, have some fleece ready to provide extra insulation if required. Remember to harden off any young plants brought on in the greenhouse or cold frame before planting them outside, to gradually acclimatise them to cooler and windier conditions.
There is still plenty to sow for the vegetable garden this month. Heatloving crops, such as courgettes, cucumbers, French and runner beans and sweetcorn, are still best sown under cover in a propagator, to get quick and reliable germination. Other hardy crops, like carrots, beetroot, fennel, kale and Swiss chard, will all be fine sown directly into prepared soil outside. Remember to protect delicate seedlings from slugs, birds, cats and whatever else is likely to eat or uproot them in your plot.
Elsewhere in the garden, it’s vital to keep on top of the hoeing and mowing. Doing these jobs little and often might sound like a hassle, but it prevents the lawn and weeding turning into projects that require major time and effort. Keep secateurs handy to cut back fuchsias, Caryopteris and penstemons hard, to encourage fresh new growth. Springflowering shrubs, such as flowering currant and Forsythia, can be pruned now, and vigorous Clematis montana is best kept in check after flowering. Cut back the old flowers and leaves of spring-flowering perennials, like Doronicum and Pulmonaria, now and they will produce a fresh flush of healthy foliage for summer – assuming they’re not covered in snow of course! n