MAY

Many gardeners regard May as one of the best months in the garden, with the freshness of spring and the promise of summer. It’s also the month of the most famous flower show of all, the Chelsea Flower show.

There are signs of summer everywhere, yet many spring flowering bulbs, especially the tulips, are still at their best. Trees are in full leaf, and shrubs like rhododendrons are in full flower in most parts of the country during the month.

May is a good time to:

• Make a half barrel pond– learn more here!
• Prune Clematis montana after flowering
• Ventilate greenhouses and conservatories, and think about permanent shading for summer
• Feed fish regularly, and also give a special aquatic fertilizer to water plants
• Move tender shrubs in pots outside for summer
• Protect crops from carrot fly

May Weather Watch

The days are really warming up now, but do be aware that the nights can be cold and we can still get sudden sharp frosts at any time this month. Most varieties of fruit trees will be in flower now and it only takes one sharp frost to destroy a potential crop for the whole year.

Make a half-barrel pond

If you haven't room for a large pond, this is the ideal way to introduce water into the garden. It's easy to plant and easy to look after. It will look good on the patio - or, you could put one in a heated conservatory and grow more exotic water plants.

(right) The finished feature, planted with a selection of spreading rock plants and a dwarf conifer

You will need:
A half-barrel from an aquatic department or specialist, which will have been pre-treated against rot
Mesh baskets for planting
A little coarse grit
A couple of half bricks to stand marginal plants on.
Plants used here:
Tiny Nymphea tetragona ‘Helvola’ is the waterlilly to look for; we also used tall, slender Typha minima, and the feathery Myriophyllum aquaticum as an oxygenating plant; this will need regular thinning.

	1. If you can, soak the barrel in a large container of water to make the wood swell and make it waterproof. Otherwise keep filling it until the wood is sealed. Plant the plants in special aquatic baskets using ordinary garden soil.
	2. Top off with mulch of coarse grit to prevent the soil seeping into the water.
	3. Place a half brick in the pond for marginal plants.
	4. Place the marginal plants carefully so as not to disturb the soil in the baskets.
	5. Waterlilies and other deeper water plants can go in placed on the bottom of the barrel.