Fragrant lilacs are traditional spring favourite
“ We’ll gather lilacs in the spring again.” That’s how the song goes and nothing says spring like the scent of lilac on the breeze.
Lilac is an old English garden classic. Its white, pink or pale purple flowers are excellent for cutting. Lilacs can be grown as a shrub or small tree and work well both in pots and in the ground. Miniature bushes are available for the patio but be warned that regular lilacs can scale up to four metres in height.
Lilacs love a sunny, well-drained location, with humus-rich soil that is alkaline to neutral. Your lilac will benefit from a mulch in spring. As the flowers fade towards midsummer, you can deadhead spent blooms and prune shrubs for height and shape.
Bigger pruning jobs, such as renovating an old tree, should take place when the plant is dormant, in winter. Lilacs do respond well to hard pruning, but because they flower on the previous year’s wood, you will lose the flowers for at least one year. To maintain flowering, remove alternate stems, cutting them back to the ground.
Jobs to keep you busy throughout May
Secure wayward stems of clematis, roses, honeysuckle and other climbing plants to prevent them being snapped in a gust of wind, depriving you of a show of summer flowers. Prune early flowering clematis as the blooms fade - keep them within their space and prune stems just above a leaf joint. Fill your garden with scent by planting sweet pea seedlings in a sunny spot against a trellis or other supports. Tidy up tulips by snipping off fading heads. Lift out the bulbs in summer, dry on sheets of newspaper and store in a cool, dry place before planting again in autumn.
Many perennials flop by midsummer, so make sturdier plants by giving them the “Chelsea chop” – a technique carried out at the end of the famous flower show. Plants, such as rudbeckia, helenium and sedum can be cut back by half, resulting in bushier plants that will flower again slightly later. Keep rows of raspberry canes tidy by pulling up shoots that are too far away to be tied in easily.
Sow sweetcorn seeds in pairs, 2.5cm deep and 45cm apart. Water well and after germination, thin each pair to leave the strongest seedling. Sow seeds of French beans, cabbage, runner beans, kale, carrots and cauliflowers outside. For summer salads, try radish, salad leaves and spring onions. Pinch out tops of broad beans to prevent an infestation of black bean aphid, which is attracted to tender young shoot tips. Feed tomato plants weekly with a fertiliser high in potash to help the fruit swell. Tie in stems and remove side-shoots as necessary. There are lots of jobs to be getting on with but remember to take a moment to stop, breathe in and enjoy your space. By Suzi M, garden lover and plotter at Roundhill Allotments
