12 gardening jobs you can do after the Ice Saints!
Ice Saints are over and that means we can really go wild in the garden! Time to harden off your plants, plant out seedlings and more. Discover the practical gardening tasks you can do in week #21 in Gardeners' World's weekly checklist.
Make a home for insects in your garden. Photo: Tim Sandall.
Place small piles of stones or branches in borders, or make an insect hotel from dead wood to provide shelter for all kinds of insects, amphibians and small mammals during the day. This will increase the biodiversity in your garden.
Do you have room for a few more plants? By planting in layers , you offer a home to various garden animals. Think of a combination of ground covers , herbaceous plants, shrubs, low trees and tall trees, with climbing plants and weaving plants as connecting links.
Read also
Water plants in the early morning or after the sun has left your garden. Photo: Tim Sandall.
With this hot, dry weather, it is important to water as efficiently as possible to keep your plants healthy. By mulching the soil around your plants, it retains more water and feeds your plants. Check out more useful tips in our article on watering in hot weather .
Feel free to sow some more summer cut flowers, such as zinnias, cosmos and amaranth. In principle you can sow everything directly, but pre-sowing is also possible. The latter is certainly a good option if you have a lot of trouble with snails or aphids in your garden.
Every week these kinds of tips in your mailbox? Sign up now for our free newsletter!
Unfortunately, your registration was not successful. Please try again later.
Sow runner beans for a beautiful and tasty harvest. Photo: Tim Sandall.
Make a sturdy wigwam from some (bamboo) sticks and plant three seeds of climbing runner beans, runner beans or French beans at each foot. They will cover your wigwam in no time! Also read more about how beautiful runner beans can be in this article with tips for a versatile garden .
Did you plant onions in the fall? Check them now for signs of bolting (flowering) and remove any flower stalks. If you let the onions flower, they will take valuable energy from the plant.
The best growing tips and more than 50 recipes!
Our best tips for year-round cooking from your own garden
From terrace to allotment: vegetable gardening is possible everywhere!
Give peach tree fruits enough room to grow. Photo: Tim Sandall.
Do you have peaches or nectarines in your greenhouse? Check if the branches are not too heavily loaded with young fruits and remove a few where necessary. Leave about 10 cm space between the fruits.
Start hardening off frost-sensitive plants and (summer) bedding plants if you haven't done so yet, or plant your hardened plants out in the garden. Ice Saints are over, so we don't have to fear frost anymore!
Top a section of your plant(s), such as this Phlox , for staggered flowering. Photo: Nick Smith.
This week is the time for the famous Chelsea Flower Show. That means it's also time for the 'Chelsea chop' in the garden - a specific way of topping, with which you can spread the flowering of plants. Get started with, among other things, sunweed ( Helenium ), turtle flower ( Penstemon ), asters and many more species. Tip: check out our article about the Chelsea chop to see what else you can top.
Remove faded flowers from your rock heather ( Pieris ). Now that the air is no longer cold, you can also remove leaves with frost damage. Read here what else you can prune in May .
Support top-heavy plants such as peonies. Photo: Sarah Cuttle. Location: Wrest Park (English Heritage), Silsoe, Bedfordshire.
Provide supports for top-heavy perennials that might otherwise droop, such as peonies and possibly hollyhocks in a location with a lot of wind.
Weed fallow ground in your borders, flower beds and planting beds, so that you will have less trouble with unplanned plants later. This will reduce the chance that these plants will set seed and spread. These are a few common types of weeds and how to recognize them .
Receive the best garden tips, inspiration and jobs for your garden every Friday and stay informed about offers.
Unfortunately, your registration was not successful. Please try again later.
