April Showers Bring May Flowers!

Don't Be In A Rush!

The month of May usually signals the start of warm sunshine, higher temperatures and longer evenings but be patient and don't be tempted to plant out too soon. Harden tender plants off that have been growing in the greenhouse by moving them outside during the day and bringing them back in at night. This gradually acclimatizes them to outdoor conditions before planting out at the end of the month. If you don't do this, the sudden change can shock plants and check their growth.

If the soil is dry enough and well prepared now is the time to start sowing seeds direct in the soil. Hopefully you have decided what is going to go where and what variety you are going to grow. This helps you to distinguish between your seedlings and weed seedlings as they can look similar when they emerge. Water the row with a watering can fitted with a fine rose to settle the soil down. Don't be tempted to sow all seeds in one go as you will end up with a glut at harvest time. Leave two weeks between sowings.

Whatever you sow always do it in a straight line and mark the ends of the rows. And remember to water them often.

Here are a few Annuals that can take a frost

1. Snapdragons

2. Petunia

3. Pansy

4. Dianthus

5. Dusty Miller

6. Geraniums

Here are some seeds that are frost tolerant

1. Sweet Peas

2. Forget-me-not

3. Sweet Alyssum