by Janis on 29th May 2026 / 0 comments
I’m going to have to pull my finger out
Wow, how bizarre the weather is in the UK at the moment. Early May, it was so cold we needed to turn on the heating briefly, and then this last week has been scorchioo. Needless to say, the BBQ has been fired up a few times.
Well, the month of May is usually a busy month for me in the garden, but unfortunately, I’ve just had to undergo breast surgery at very short notice, and sadly, the garden looks a bit like a jungle in places.
Luckily, I bought all my bedding plants (and there are a lot of them) prior to my surgery, but as yet, they have not all made it into pots. Some are done, although I have managed to clear all the containers ready. I think it’s a job for the weekend.
Pinterest?
Why not Pin it for later?
What we’ve been up to in May
In the garden and on the websiteWell, with everything else going on, we have managed to tick off a few items on the list this month, which is positive.
Chilli seeds for 2026
I know it is a little late in the season to grow chillies from seed, but in May we bought some specialist varieties from ‘The Coastal Chilli Company’. The chillies we chose were Roxi, Loco, Vampire, PeppaPeach and Purple Flash. The majority of the seeds have germinated; the only ones that didn’t are the Purple Flash. I’ll try again next year.
Bedding plants
As I mentioned, I’ve planted some of our climbing bedding plants, and now that they are in their new homes, they are flourishing. I think it’s just about another 25 pots to go. Last year I sowed some Morning Glory seeds, and amazingly, lots of them have re-seeded, so I have free plants.
Kent Pride Iris
A beautiful Aquilegia
The irrigation system that we installed a few years ago is a godsend. Last week we replaced the timer for it, and now it is so easy to control. It’s all done via an app, and it also has a boost option.
The new potting table
Our new VegTrug potting table arrived for the patio, and Gary kindly assembled the lovely stand in scorching heat.
I’ve also planted some Nasturtium seeds directly in the garden beds, and it appears that after only a few days, they are peeking through the soil.
First bloom of the season
The tomato plants that I grew from seed are doing reasonably well; we just have Gardeners’ Delight, Red Cherry, and Black Moon. We both love cherry tomatoes when they are roasted.
Achievements for May
Let’s keep ticking those boxesWe've managed to tick a few jobs off the list for May, considering the circumstances; however, there’s always more to achieve.
A stunning red poppy
So, let’s see what we’ve managed to tick off for May.
Continue clearing weeds and unwanted planting in the Cottage Garden section.
Sown our new varieties of chilli seeds.
Built a new potting table.
Fitted a new timer to the irrigation system.
Purchase bedding plants
Cleared patio pots ready for planting.
Planted all annual climbers.
Cleaned out the water feature.
Keeping the water trays filled up for the hedgehogs (we’ve seen them on the Trailcam).
Sowed nasturtiums directly in the soil.
Keep the garden waste bin as full as possible.
Lessons learnt & mistakes made
You live and learnI definitely should have sown our chilli seeds a lot earlier in the year. They are still so young; at least we keep them in the conservatory through the summer.
Love-in-the-Mist
Our plans for the coming month
What’s on your to-do list?Clear and chop up our fallen tree.
Re-pot indoor plants.
Keep an eye on the hedgehogs with our new Trailcam.
Weed the driveway using a scraper.
Finish planting bedding plants.
Continue clearing weeds and unwanted planting in the Cottage Garden section.
Prune more of the many shrubs in the back garden and check the pruning seasons.
Replant the Alpine Garden in the spring.
Pot-on new seedlings.
Clear more of the old, raised beds.
Clean patio table.
Tidy front garden.
Please let us know what you have planned for your garden this month; we’d love to hear about it.
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