It's All Happening...

HELLO! The old English phrase ‘Ne’er caste a clout till May is out’ has long been an aide memoire for gardeners wondering whether it’s safe to sow seeds or plant out tender bedding.

- Toby Buckland

Although it actually means ‘Don’t take off your vest until the hawthorn is in bloom’, the arrival of the white hedgerow blossom is an excellent indicator the last frost has passed.

In the West Country this can be in early April, especially in protected valleys and along the coast. But wherever you garden ensure tender types like petunia, tomatoes and sweetcorn are ‘hardened off’ before planting and kept watered especially in dry spells through spring.

May is the month for planting plug and pot grown vegetables and when the ‘hungry gap’ - the fallow period between the last of the winter brassicas and the first broad beans - comes to an end. It’s all happening. Happy gardening!