This Month in Your Garden - May

‘It was the outdoor detail–and May is one fine month to be working outdoors.’ Stephen King

There are still some frosts around, so protect tender plants until you are sure the danger passes. May is truly a month to enjoy being in the garden and at the garden centre, stocking up with colour for your borders. You probably won’t plant out bedding until the end of the month, but there are plenty of other pleasurable jobs to get on with. 

The Lawncare Guide - May

We beat weeds into submission

April was, for many places, exceptionally dry, so mowing will need to be done as dictated by the grass growth. If your lawn hasn’t put on much of a spurt, you won’t need to lower the cutting height on your garden tractor or mower just yet. Besides, grass should be mown a little at a time and by aiming to remove a third of the available leaf when you mow you allow the grass time to recover from the cut. 

Lawn Care: Questions & Answers

Q. How often should I feed the lawn with fertilizer? 

The Vegetable Plot - May

Growing, growing, gone!

Growing your own vegetables is not only a pleasure on fine May days, you will also notice family and friends can’t wait to get the flavour of home-grown. Be it simply growing tomatoes in the greenhouse or outside, or a host of different veg in your plot, or even in borders with other plants, the story is the same. 

The Big Glut Recipe - May

One pot salmon with roast asparagus

Refreshingly, serves 2. From BBC Good Food. 

Ingredients

• 400g new potato, halved if large
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved
• 2 handfuls cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 salmon fillets, about 140g/5oz each
• handful basil leaves