May is a magical time in the garden. Spring is in full bloom, the days are longer and the soil is warming up, offering an abundance of gardening opportunities. Whether you’re tending to ornamental borders, managing an allotment, encouraging wildlife or maintaining a garden pond, there’s plenty to do, and enjoy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of your garden this month..

Planting and Garden Maintenance

May is a prime month for planting a wide variety of flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Here’s what to focus on:

Hardy Annuals (Direct Sow)
– Cornflowers, poppies, nigella, and calendula can be sown straight into well-prepared beds
– Rake the soil to a fine grain size, sow seeds thinly and cover lightly with soil.
– Water gently (use a fine spray watering can rose) and keep moist until germination.

Tender Bedding Plants
– Petunias, geraniums, marigolds and begonias can be planted out (though keep an eye out for late frosts). Plant in a multi-purpose compost. Water in well and mulch to retain moisture. Dead head (remove flowers that have gone over) regularly to encourage new ones to form.

Vegetables to Sow or Plant Out
– Sow directly to your vegetable beds: carrots, beetroot, lettuce, spring onions and radish seeds
- Plant out hardened-off courgettes, runner beans, and sweetcorn that you may have started indoors on in a greenhouse.
– Support climbing plants with bamboo canes or netting.

Herbs
Sow basil, dill, coriander and parsley directly into sunny spots or containers. Keep soil consistently moist but never wet.

Garden Maintenance Tips
– Deadhead spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips but leave the foliage to die back naturally.
- Weed regularly—young weeds are easier to pull!
- Mulch borders with a bark to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

Kitchen Garden Ideas for May

Allotments start to burst into productivity this month. Here’s how to keep on top of things:

Plan Succession Sowing
– To avoid gluts and extend harvests, sow a few seeds every 2–3 weeks for your crops like lettuce, carrots, beetroot, spinach.

Protect Young Plants
– Use cloches or horticultural fleece over young plants to shield from late frosts and hungry pigeons.
- Net brassicas to deter cabbage white butterflies. We sell anti butterfly netting by the metre – just ask at the tills.

Feed and Water
– Start feeding tomatoes, strawberries, and container-grown crops. Use liquid seaweed or a general-purpose organic fertiliser.
- Water early in the morning or late evening to reduce loss of moisture by evaporation.

Make Use of Vertical Space
– Train beans, cucumbers, and squash up trellises or frames. This saves space and improves airflow; reducing disease.
Place straw around your strawberry plants to keep fruit clean and to avoid rotting. This will also discourage slugs and snails.

Encouraging Wildlife in May

A wildlife-friendly garden is not only beautiful but also beneficial for pest control and pollination.

Create a Bug Hotel
Stack pallets, bricks, twigs, hollow stems and bark in a quiet corner.

Leave Some Grass Long
Allow a patch of lawn or a strip around the edge to grow wild. Daisies, clover, and buttercups support bees and butterflies.

Feed the Birds
– Continue feeding your garden birds but shift to protein-rich foods like mealworms and sunflower hearts to support nesting.
– Provide fresh water daily.

Plant Pollinator-Friendly Flowers
Ideal choices include foxgloves, aquilegia, alliums, and wallflowers. Aim for a mix of shapes and bloom times.

Create Shelter for wildlife
– Leave piles of leaves or logs in shady spots for hedgehogs and toads.
– Install bird boxes or bat boxes in sheltered locations.

Pond Care in May

Garden ponds come alive in May, but they also require attention to keep ecosystems balanced. Here’s step-by-step pond maintenance tips:

Remove Debris
Use a net to gently scoop out fallen leaves, algae, and twigs. Try to avoid disturbing frogspawn or tadpoles.

Top Up Water Levels
Use rainwater if possible. If using tap water, let it stand in a bucket for 24 hours to allow chlorine to dissipate.

Divide and Thin Aquatic Plants
If pond plants like water lilies or irises have outgrown their space, lift and divide them. Replant in aquatic baskets using pond compost (we sell both of these)

Algae Control
Add oxygenating plants to your pond and use barley straw extract or floating barley straw bags to naturally combat algae.

Add a Wildlife Ramp
A sloped stone or log can help amphibians safely enter and exit your pond.

General Tips for a Thriving May Garden

– Regularly Inspect Plants: Look for aphids, mildew, or slug damage and act quickly. Use organic or chemical treatments or hand-pick pests off your plants.
– Hand weed or hoe your ornamental and kitchen gardens regularly to stay on top of weeds and get rid of them before they go to seed.
– Plant up your summer hanging baskets. We have everything you need from empty baskets, compost and basket plants or if you don’t want to make them yourself, we have ready made ones for sale.
– Support Tall Perennials: Use plant supports for delphiniums, peonies and lupins before they flop.
– Refresh Containers: Remove tired spring bedding and replace with summer plants. Use fresh compost and slow-release fertiliser.
– Compost Smartly: If you make compost at home, add a balance of greens (grass clippings) and browns (dry leaves, cardboard) to your compost heap for faster decomposition.

Conclusion

May is a time of promise and productivity in the garden. With the last frosts behind you and the warmth of summer on the horizon, this is your opportunity to set the stage for a fruitful and flourishing season. Whether you’re sowing seeds, nurturing wildlife, or just sitting back to enjoy the buzz of bees and the scent of new blooms, take time to connect with nature, and your garden will reward you in return.

Happy gardening!

April is one of the most exciting months in the gardening calendar. The days are noticeably longer, the soil is warming up, and everything feels full of promise. It’s the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and get planting, sowing, tidying, and feeding. Whether you’re growing vegetables, refreshing borders, or bringing your lawn back to life, there’s plenty to keep you busy — and to look forward to.

Plant Summer-Flowering Bulbs and Tubers

If you haven’t already started, now’s the time to plant summer-flowering favourites like dahlias, begonias, gladioli, and lilies. These bulbs, tubers and corms love warm soil and will reward you with vibrant colour later in the summer.

Get Your Potatoes in the Ground

Plant second early potatoes at the start of April, and main crop varieties towards the end of the month. Not sure which type you have? The packet will tell you. Need more advice? Pop into the garden centre and we’ll be happy to help.

Direct Seed Sowing

April marks the beginning of the outdoor sowing season. Once the soil is workable and frost-free, you can sow seeds straight into the ground.

Try early varieties of:

– Carrots
– Peas
– Lettuce
– Radishes
-Spinach

Tip: Watch out for late frosts. Use cloches or horticultural fleece to protect tender seedlings.

Make the Most of a Boggy Area

Got a patch of your garden that never dries out? Turn it into a bog garden! It’s the perfect environment for irises, ferns, primulas, astilbes, and other moisture-loving plants.

Feed Your Roses

Roses are hungry plants! Give them a boost now with a specific rose fertiliser to encourage strong, healthy growth and beautiful blooms.

Refresh Your Pond

Our aquatic department is reopening this month and will be stocked with a lovely range of pond plants to brighten up your water feature. It’s the perfect time to refresh your pond and give it a new lease of life for spring.

Divide Snowdrops

As your snowdrops finish flowering and die back, lift and divide the clumps. Replant the bulbs individually at the same depth — this helps them spread more naturally in future years.

Harden Off and Plant Out Broad Beans

If you’ve got pot-grown broad beans, you can begin planting them out once they’ve been hardened off. This means gradually acclimatising them to outdoor conditions over a few days.

Hedge Trimming? Check for Nests

Before trimming any hedges, always check for nesting birds. If you spot a nest, it’s best to hold off until the chicks have flown.

Protect Against Late Frosts

Late frosts can still catch us out in April. Use horticultural fleece to protect vulnerable plants and wrap bubble wrap around pots to keep roots safe from cold snaps.

Feed and Water Houseplants
Your indoor plants are waking up too! Start feeding them again and gradually increase watering. Follow the instructions on your fertiliser and avoid overfeeding.

Tidy Up the Lawn

Time to show your lawn some love:

– Mow when the grass is dry (and not too short)
– Aerate the lawn using a fork to improve drainage and airflow
– Reseed bare patches or lay new turf

We sell both — turf arrives on Fridays and is available at the weekend (weather permitting), so give us a call to reserve your rolls.

Final Thought

April is all about preparation and planting — the more you do now, the better your garden will reward you in the months to come. If you need help choosing the right plants, lawn care products, or pond accessories, pop in and speak to our friendly team at St Bridget.

Happy gardening!

March marks the official arrival of spring in the UK and we are sure you will be as eager as us to get our hands back in the soil after the long, cold winter months! The days are getting longer, the soil is starting to warm up and there’s a sense of anticipation in the air. This is an exciting time for gardeners, with plenty of opportunities to prepare for the growing season ahead. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a novice, March offers a wealth of fun activities in the garden.

Practical Tips for March Gardening:

Start Planning and Preparing
March is an ideal time to plan your garden for the upcoming growing season. Take some time to review what worked and what didn’t in the previous year. Consider what plants you’d like to grow, whether you want to add new features like a flower bed, or if you’re planning to implement any changes. Sketch out your garden plan and think about the amount of sunlight, shade, and moisture different areas of your garden receive. Having this knowledge about your garden will help you choose the right plant when you visit our garden centre. Our friendly team are always on hand to offer advice.

Prepare the Soil
As the weather warms up, the soil will begin to dry out and become workable again. March is an excellent time to get the your garden beds ready for planting. Begin by removing any weeds that have sprouted over the winter and consider turning the soil with a fork or spade to improve aeration. Adding organic matter, such as soil conditioning compost or well-rotted manure, can help improve the structure and fertility of the soil. If your soil is heavy clay, incorporate some horticultural grit or sand to improve drainage.

Cut Back Last Year’s Growth
On ornamental grasses and other perennials to make way for new shoots.

Planting Early Crops
March is an exciting time for gardeners who want to get a jumpstart on the growing season. You can sow seeds indoors for crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. If the weather is mild, you can plant hardy vegetables like broad beans, onions, and garlic outdoors. Plant onion bulbs so their tips are just visible above the soil.

Slug Control
Last year was really bad for slug and snail damage. Take steps now to protect young vulnerable shoots. There are many ways you can protect plants from slate shavings around plants, copper bands, slug pellets, wool blankets or slug traps. One of nature’s natural eaters of slugs are hedgehogs so don’t use pesticides if you know you have hedgehogs nearby. Hedgehogs will be emerging this month from hibernation. If you feel you want to feed them avoid bread and milk and opt for specialist hedgehog food (which we sell) or leave them to the slugs!

Prepare for Lawn Care
As the weather warms up, your lawn will begin to grow again. March is a great time to give your lawn some attention. If the soil is not too wet or waterlogged, you can start by raking away debris and any remaining leaves from the winter. It’s also a good time to aerate the lawn, which will help relieve compaction and improve drainage. To do this either use a specialist aerator tool or use the prongs of a garden fork. If your lawn has bare patches, you can apply grass seed to these areas and keep them watered. Fertilising the lawn with a nitrogen-rich feed will encourage strong, healthy growth in the spring.

Clean Garden Tools
Before you start your gardening activities, take the time to clean and sharpen your tools. Tools such as spades, forks and secateurs can become dull over time, so sharpening them will make your work easier and more efficient. We sell whetstones and other sharpening stones in store. You should also clean and oil your tools to keep them working at their best.

Allotment
Cover your seed beds with clear polythene or horticultural fleece to warm the soil up before you sow your seeds later in the month.

Prune Your Climbing Roses
First remove any dead (brown and dry) wood. Retain young vigorous branches. Only remove a few old branches if new (pale green) branches have grown from below where you propose to cut. Use sharp secateurs or a pruning saw. Tie the long main branches back to their support (e.g. back onto a trellis). Side branches are not pruned as the rose will flower on those again from June onwards.

Things to Buy for Your Garden in March:

Seeds and Seedlings
March is the perfect time to purchase seeds for early sowing both indoors for a head start or outdoors. If you look on the back of the packet it will tell you when to sow and how as well as when it will flower or crop and how much space you need to grow it. Our favourites for March sowing include Beetroot, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Lobelia and Sunflowers.

Plant Supports
As the growing season progresses, plants like sweet peas, peas and tomatoes will need support. March is the time to buy plant supports such as trellises, stakes, and netting. Installing these supports early will ensure that your plants have the support they need as they begin to grow taller. For climbing plants like beans and peas, tall, sturdy stakes/canes and netting will help them grow in the right direction and prevent them from toppling over. You may also want to remember your tall perennial plants that tend to flop and put a sturdy plant support ring around the plant as it emerges from the soil varieties like alliums and poppies for example.

Compost and Fertilisers
A good supply of compost is essential for enriching your soil and providing nutrients to your plants. You can either buy ready-made compost or consider creating your own at home using kitchen scraps and garden waste. Fertilisers can also be purchased to give your plants an early nutrient boost. Organic options like blood, fish and bone meal or seaweed fertilisers are popular choices with gardeners. For lawns, you may want to buy a spring lawn feed to encourage healthy growth.

Garden Tools
March is a great time to invest in any garden tools that may need replacing or upgrading. For example, purchasing new gloves, secateurs and a spade will ensure you’re fully equipped for the season ahead. If you’re looking to do more precise work, consider adding a trowel or hand fork to your collection.

Mulch
Mulching is a great way to retain moisture in the soil and suppress weeds as the weather warms up. In March, you can purchase organic mulches like bark (either composted bark or bark chips). Apply mulch around your plants after the soil has warmed up to help protect the roots and encourage strong growth.

Seasonal Highlights:

Spring Blooms
March is the time when your garden begins to awaken from its winter slumber. Early spring flowers such as crocuses, snowdrops, and hellebores start to bloom, providing a much-needed burst of colour. Daffodils and tulips are also beginning to emerge, creating vibrant displays throughout gardens and parks. These early flowers not only brighten up the garden but also provide much-needed nectar for pollinators like bees and butterflies. If you forgot to plant your spring flowering bulbs last autumn then we sell some in a state we call ‘in the green’ which is effectively planted in a pot and growing ready for you to plant on into your garden pots or beds.

Wildlife Activity
As the weather warms, wildlife becomes more active. March is a key time for birds to begin nesting, so providing bird boxes or feeding stations will help attract these creatures to your garden. You can even fill a fatball cage with hair groomed from pets or even your own hairbrush as birds will be glad of the soft nesting material.

Fruit Blossoms
March is the time when fruit trees, such as apple and cherry, begin to blossom. These delicate flowers are not only beautiful to look at but also attract pollinators.

Plants to look out for…
Camellias, Magnolias, Hellebores, Amelanchier and Viburnums should all be looking sensational this month. We always fill our undercover section, which we call our plant market, with ‘looking good’ plants of the moment. If you are in a hurry this is the place to go for seasonal highlights and temptation!