Essential Gardening Tasks for May: Top 5 to Focus On
- Sarah Kay
- May 2
- 1 min read
As the weather warms up and the risk of frost becomes a distant memory, this month is perfect for stepping into your garden and savoring its late spring beauty.
Prune Early Spring flowering shrubs

During this month, early spring flowering shrubs like Forsythia and Choisya should be deadheaded and lightly pruned to maintain their designated space and promote repeat blooming in Choisya.
Tie in climbers
Flowering Wisteria in my N16 Into the Woodland garden This month, climbers like Wisteria, Clematis, and Honeysuckle will experience significant growth. Use twine to tie them horizontally to the trellis, promoting their spread across the entire support.
Scoop out pond weed and debris from ponds.
Wildlife pond in my E5 garden Scoop out pond weeds, algae and blanket weed from garden ponds using a seive and leaving the debris on the side to allow any pond creature to escape back into the pond.
Dead head early Tulips
Tulipa 'White Prince' putting on a fantastic display in my E11 Naturalistic Planting Design Remove the spent flowers from your early Tulips and let the foliage wither naturally, as this will return energy to the bulbs for future blooms.
Water wisely
Water wisely early morning or evening in drought With the hottest start to May on record, your plants will be experiencing heat and drought. To minimize evaporation, water them wisely in the early morning or early evening. Providing your plants with a thorough soak less frequently promotes stronger root growth compared to watering them lightly and often.
I hope you have the chance to enjoy your gardens during this May bank holiday weekend.
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