There’s something about May that feels like a breath of fresh air for the garden. It’s almost like this month is exactly what it’s been waiting for for the last few months. I think we have too!!

After the coldness of winter and the uncertainty of early spring, everything suddenly seems to know what it’s doing. The grass grows faster than you expect, buds ceremoniously burst into life, and those hopeful pots you planted a few weeks ago feel like they’re really starting to bloom now.

I love spending time in my garden, but it’s so much more enjoyable now the weather is warmer. It’s such a lovely time to be outside. Although there are some hard jobs to tackle (weeding can feel relentless) at the same time it’s nice to take things gently, not rushing, not stressing, just gently keeping things ticking along.

Talking of weeding – to me weeding feels like hard work sometimes. At the moment I’ve got golfers elbow (bit ironic as I’ve only ever played golf a handful of times. Okay when I say golf, mini golf counts right!) Despite weeding being physically difficult, I actually find it quite therapeutic… it’s also deeply satisfying when you look at what you’ve achieved. Starting with a mass of weeds, nettles, brambles, bindweed and dandelions, and finishing with a fresh border of plants that you chose, or a blank canvas that’s just longing for some pretty plants, is a fabulous feeling. Take a photo before you start to remind you how well you’ve done.

The lawn is growing fast!

Isn’t that first cut of the year the best instant makeover! The thing is once you’ve cut the grass once, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. You’ll mow the lawn and it will look lovely, then after a few days sunshine and rain, it will be like it’s never seen a lawn mower before!!

Regular mowing keeps it looking neat, but there’s no need to be too precise. Letting it stay slightly longer gives it that soft, countryside feel and helps it stay healthy if we get a dry spell.

It’s better to keep the grass slightly longer so cut it more often on a higher cutting level.

A gardener gave me this advice. Don’t cut your grass too short. Keeping it slightly longer means that the roots will be shaded and therefore have more protection if we get a few days of hot weather. Nobody likes a brown, parched lawn, especially the lawn.

There is something quite satisfying about freshly cut grass and tidy edges – it’s one of those small jobs that makes the whole garden feel cared for.

You may have heard of No Mow May, that encourages us to let parts of the lawn grow a little longer to support bees and other pollinators. It doesn’t have to mean leaving the whole garden untouched and growing rampant – even allowing a small patch to grow wild can make a difference.

I won’t be doing it everywhere, but I quite like the idea of letting one small area grow a little wilder this month.

Of course if you absolutely hate mowing the lawn, no mow May might just be the excuse you need to have a month off!!

The borders are gently coming back to life

The borders are starting to feel full again.

Roses are forming buds – one of mine even has a flower – lavender is soft and silvery with new growth and climbers like clematis are stretching out, looking for somewhere to go.

It’s lovely to see the Californian lilac in flower, contrasting against the stunning pure white flowers of Spiraea (Bridal Wreath.) Isn’t spring a wonderful time of year!

Our rhododendron has just come into flower too and is looking beautiful. I cut this down last year as unfortunately it had become over-run with loads of brambles and a beech tree trying to grow in the middle of it. I think we’re recovering well though and hopefully I’ve been forgiven!

Jobs to do at the moment are quite gentle, so I think it’s a nice way of easing us into it rather than attacking from all angles with all guns blazing!! Do you ever get weird sayings popping into your head too?! I don’t think guns really blaze so they? Unless it means that smoke comes out when you fire, or maybe it’s to do with cap guns. Do you remember them? You had a little roll of ‘caps’ that you popped inside to make a little bang when you pulled the trigger. Gosh that brings back memories…

So what do we need to be doing now?

• tying in new growth
• keeping on top of weeds before they take hold
• Feeding plants
• Planting out when the risk of frost has gone
• Keeping an eye on the lawn with gentle trimming
• and simply enjoying what’s thriving

Some plants, like aubretia and saxifrage, quietly steal the show this time of year, spilling over walls and borders in a way that feels perfectly imperfect.

The vegetable beds are a work in progress

There’s a quiet excitement in the veg bed in May.

Peas and beans may have started to climb, carrots might need a little thinning, although mine are very miniature at the moment, and courgettes seem to grow almost overnight.

I’ve still got my broccoli inside but with one of the plants now showing something that actually resembles broccoli on the top, I think it’s time to plant it out.

It’s still early days, but everything feels full of potential.

At the moment I’ve got peas, broad beans and oregano growing well but plenty of seeds that are gently sprouting. Ive got butternut squash that I hope will be a success and I’ve just planted some marigolds too to act as a pollinator, they add a lovely pop of colour as well. I love growing things, it’s such a lovely feeling to eat food that you’ve grown from seed 💚

Garden visitors

I do my best to make sure the garden is wildlife friendly and love that birds, butterflies and bees choose to visit and enjoy the garden. We’ve got some robins that pop into the chicken coop looking for food – the chickens don’t seem to mind. I’ve got a little water fountain that the birds enjoy and we have feeders too.

We have a fox that runs across the garden morning and evening so I’m guessing she must have her den somewhere nearby. As long as she keeps away from my chickens I don’t mind.

As well as welcome visitors, we’ll also have less welcome guests such as slugs, snails and aphids making their appearance this month too, so it’s worth keeping a gentle eye on things.

There are natural ways to keep them away from your leaves. Please try and avoid using pesticides as they’re so harmful to the environment, as well as to the birds and visiting insects. I spray my roses with a solution of water and washing up liquid that seems to deter greenfly. With slugs and snails you can get copper tape and also eggshells or grit will make the surface less appealing for them.

Perhaps the most important job

Among all the watering, weeding and mowing, there’s one job that’s just as important:

Taking a moment to sit and enjoy it!! After spending hours and hours tending to your garden, you absolutely deserve it.

May doesn’t last long. The light is soft, everything feels fresh, and the garden hasn’t yet reached that slightly overwhelming pace of summer.

So pop the kettle on, sit quietly for a few minutes in the sun, and simply notice the sounds of nature and what’s growing… it might just be the loveliest job of all.