Margaret's Garden Journal for May 2009

The front garden May 11th.

As anticipated last month, the late tulips and broom were almost over by the middle of May but to my surprise the forget-me-nots lingered on without mildewing to the end of the month, probably because rain accompanied a spell of warmer weather. The allium purple spendour bloomed just as the tulips finished and so did lupins, aquilegia, ceonothus, weigelia and shrub roses so I didn't get a colour gap. Fox gloves, large alliums and the smal flowering alliums that run riot plus poppies are saving themselves for June. The dalias are late showing. I dug one up and although some parts of the tuber had rotted with either damp or frost., there were still healthy live shoots starting so I hope the rest have survived the cold winter. The first half of May I was very ill, (the plus side I lost a stone but unfortunately I put back half of that in the next fortnight.) The weeds took full advantage of my absence and the plants I had grown from seed resented not being potted on but I am nearly back on target. I am particularly pleased to have netted the brassicas against pigeons. Last year I lost nearly the whole crop.

To do this month

1. Net brassicas

2. Buy cucumber and pepper plants

3. Sow peas outside

4. Sow more broad beans

5.Sow lettuce outdoors

6.Sow carrots outdoors

7. Feed and spray roses

Later Comments

1. Done

2. Bought some from Hawgrips

3.Planted out a few Hurst's Greenshaft

4. Done

5. Thinned out and replanted cabbage lettuce and , except for cut and come again which germinated well outside

6. Will do in June.

7. Fed but not sprayed