What to do in the May Garden:
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Deadhead bulbs, but leave the stems. Let foliage wither naturally. Don't tie, bind or bury. The plant needs the leaves to nourish next year's flowers.
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Scatter bulb fertilizer at base of bulbs. Don't use bone meal; there's not enough nutrients in it any more. Try Bulb-tone instead.
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Deer repel as needed. Use weekly, and supplement with a monthly broadcast of Milorganite.
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Empty & clean bird feeders. Let your bird visitors harvest insects from the garden this summer!
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Begin mowing the lawn. Use a mulching mower to spread clippings back onto the lawn. Over a season, these clippings act as an additional fertilizer application.
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Mulch all the beds with an organic product such as Sweet Peet or Agri-mix.
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Water transplants well if Nature doesn't provide.
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Prepare patio pots with compost and potting soil.
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Towards the end of the month, plant warm weather annuals such as canna, impatiens, and dahlia.
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Prune and shape hydrangeas and roses back to live wood.
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Start a new compost pile; the one begun in March is ready to use.
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Plant a fragrant shrub such as viburnum carlesii or lilac.
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Cut flowers for vases in the house. |
Some of what's in Bloom in my garden this month:
 
Use a succession of plants such as tulips in the first week of May, and move on to honeysuckle, lilac and rhodies in later weeks, in order to keep your garden colorful. Remember to purchase a later-blooming plant for each spring bloomer you put in your cart at the nursery. You'll have all-season color in your yard before you know it!
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Composting is HOT this year!!
There's been lots of interest in my garden talk, "The Bins and Outs of Composting". So far this spring I've presented at Garden Clubs, Libraries and the New York Botanicaal Garden. People are interested in this easy way to lessen their waste stream and simultaneously improve their soil fertility. Composting also helps decrease the load on Mother Earth, as it sequesters carbon, rather than turning organic leftovers into methane and carbon dioxide.
If your group is interested in scheduling this informative, light-hearted 1-hour Show 'n Tell, contact me at colleenplimpton@yahoo.com.
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