Today’s post on Bishopston Mum features wild garlic, cherry blossom, birds nests and frogs along with some wonderful seasonal gardening tips for May!

The seasonal gardening tips are provided by my lovely friend, Sarah Clapham, a local mum of two and gardener who shares her gardening advice every month on Bishopston Mum.

Sarah’s monthly tips will be helpful whether you have a garden or an allotment, wish to do some pot or window sill gardening or just want to know what to look out for or listen when you are out and about with your children.

Here are Sarah’s seasonal gardening tips for May. Enjoy…

On the allotment/vegetable patch…

• As it’s getting milder you can plant or sow straight into well prepared soil. If a spell of cooler weather or frost looks imminent you might want to wait a little longer
• Protect tender plants against late frosts with fleece
• Keep young plants well watered
• As ever keep on top of weeds
• Harvest radishes, lettuce, spinach, chard, asparagus and rhubarb amongst others
• Harden off seedlings by moving them outside during the day and back in at night
• Earth up potatoes to protect from late frosts
• Put up supports for beans
• Prepare to defend plants against slug and snail attack – sharp sand, organic pellets, copper wire and beer traps are good, as is collecting them under torchlight!
• Sow squash, courgette and cucumber indoors.

In the garden…

• plant sweet peas
• tie in the growth of climbers
• deadhead spring bulbs
• clip hedges
• support tall perennials
• plant tender annuals, eg tithonia and zinnia
• plant out bedding plants and keep well watered

Things to look at/listen for when you are out and about…

• wild garlic and cow parsley (lots of cow parsley in Gaston Lane!)
• look out for frogs near ponds and in cool, damp spots (take a visit to the Golden Hill Community Garden and enjoy some pond dipping!)
• enjoy the frothy pink blossom before it blows away like confetti
• hedges will become home to nesting birds, listen out and see if you can identify the bird
• take time to eat seasonal food in the May sunshine