IT'S MAYTIME (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

IT'S MAYTIME

7:30pm Sunday 8th May 2011

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What a lovely month this is and there is so much to look forward to. As gardeners we will have been thankful for the overnight rain and welcomed the sunshine this morning. Despite all its promise May can still have a sting – there was a frost just a few nights ago – I hope none of you were caught out. It is still a bit too early to plant out tender bedding unless you are prepared to listen to the weather forecasts and be ready with the horticultural fleece. This is a really busy time with lots to do in all parts of the garden and one important job that is all too easily overlooked until it’s too late is putting in stakes for tall plants. Most of the taller varieties do better if given some sort of staking. Home made stakes using either cane or brushwood will do a good job economically. If you find it’s more convenient to buy one of the many proprietary systems that are on sale in the garden centres these too are really efficient but a bit more expensive. The most important thing is to get them in place before the real growth starts. By starting early you will be a step ahead and the new flowering stems will soon hide the support.

There is still time to lift and divide your border perennials but if you want a good display later on make it a priority to get this job finished and out of the way before the end of this month. When you have finished give the plants a feed with an all-purpose fertiliser and a generous layer of mulch such as garden compost or bark chippings.

In my own courtyard garden the new fruit trees seem to be doing well in their pots, the cherry tree already has some fruit forming. I don’t expect any of them to provide fruit in any quantity in their first year but its great seeing just a few forming. Also, my Elaeagnus Commutata, which I was afraid might not like the move, is covered with tiny cream flowers and filling the air with heavenly perfume. As I said, there is a lot to look forward to!

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