In this presentation we give you some tips and advice for gardening in May as well sharing our top ten plants for the month.

1. May Gardening Tips

3. 1. Aquilegia Aquilegia, sometimes known as ‘Columbine’ or ‘Granny’s Bonnet’, is an old cottage garden favourite. Depending on the variety these flowers will usually grow to between 60 to 90cm tall. We would recommend planting them near the front of a border so you can easily see the delicate blooms.

4. 2. Azaleas and Rhododendrons Typically the Azaleas can tolerate more sun than the Rhodes but they both need acidic soil to grow. The flowers of both plants are beautifully scented. We would recommend visiting an open garden in your area to see some of the more stunning versions of these amazing flowers. Details of local Open Gardens can be obtained from the Open Garden Scheme or the RHS.

5. 3. Ceanothus ‘Concha’ (AGM) Some times known as ‘California Lilac’, this fantastic garden shrub is certainly one of our all time favourites. The amazing deep blue flowers look absolutely stunning in the spring sunshine. They can grow to become fairly large (around 3m in both height and width) so you need to ensure there is enough space available before you plant them.

6. 4. Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’(AGM) Unfortunately named the ‘Judas Tree’ as its believed to be the tree that Judas hanged himself from. In reality this tree is actually a very pretty and good looking addition to most gardens. Usually they will grow to become 10m tall. The pink flowers offer a dramatic contrast when compared with bare branches, the deep purple heart shaped leaves turn yellow in autumn.