MAY

TO DO LIST

Annuals

When the danger of frost is past, plant seeds or seedlings of warm-season annual flowers. This year, experiment with something offbeat: Instead of dwarf French marigolds, try foot-tall signet marigolds, which bear a profusion of gold, lemon yellow, or tangerine flowers; instead of petunias, grow smaller-flowered calibrachoas; instead of Sensation cosmos, try ‘Pied Piper Red’ or Sea Shells Mix, with rolled up petals; instead of zonal geraniums, plant baskets full of ivy geraniums.

vegetables

The eight basic warm-season vegetables should go in now: beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, squash, and tomatoes.

summer bulbs

Go beyond callas, dahlias, gladiolus, and lily-of-the-Nile with potted summer hyacinths (Galtonia candicans) and hardy Chinese ground orchids (Bletilla striata).

Herbs.

In summer beds, plant seedlings of annual kinds, including basil, cilantro, and parsley. Plant perennials like chives, oregano, rosemary, and thyme in permanent beds; put mint in containers to keep it under control.

Japanese maples

Their emerging leaves are fresh, full, and (depending on the variety) infused with chartreuse, gold, pink, red, or variegation ― nearly as engaging as their fall colors.

Fall-blooming perennials

Plant asters, Helenium, Japanese anemones, and mums now for spectacular autumn flowers. Also look for the new Heliopsis ‘Tuscan Sun’, whose 12- to 20-inch height makes it the most compact false sunflower ever. 

Maintenance

Detail the garden.
Once plants are in the ground, add adornments like birdbaths, tea lights, and gazing orbs to give your garden a finished look. Find everything you need at Sunnycrest Nursery and Floral
Feed plants
Apply a balanced fertilizer according to package directions early this month. Dig controlled-release or organic fertilizer into the backfill of everything else you plant. Water well, and you’ll see results within days.   Sunnycrest Nursery has all of the best names in organic garden care products.

THIS MONTH