As bulbs fade and herbaceous borders grow in leaps and bounds, it is now clear that summer is approaching. Sowing and planting out bedding can begin, depending on regional weather variations, and you can take softwood cuttings. It's also time to get back into the lawn mowing regime, as the lawn will be loving the warmer temperatures this month brings

1. There is still time to plant raspberries, and apple trees maybe even try some old Heritage Irish apple trees.
2. Pot up dahlias and tender exotics such as Canna for planting out as soon as the risk of frost has passed.
3. Divide herbaceous perennials now to improve their vigour and create new plants.
4. Divide herbaceous perennials to increase your display and rejuvenate the plants.
5. After aubrieta, alyssum and candytuft have flowered , trim them back to encourage fresh new growth and more flowers.
6. Look after your spring flower bulbs once they have finished flowering, Don't be tempted to cut down or tie up the foliage of spring-flowering bulbs, let them die down naturally. The bulbs need to grow and swell up their storage for next year’s flowers.
7. Don’t let Forget-Me-Not go to seed otherwise they will be everywhere next year. Lift the plants now .
8. Tie in your sweet peas with plant support rings to encourage them to climb.
9. Top-dress permanent pot plants to refresh the compost and add for a fully balanced feed. We use Chempak no 3.
10. Inspect your established plant pots for vine weevil and if present apply Nemasys for a natural control. Early May is a good time to do the job to save massive infestation later in the season.
11. Vine weevil can sometimes cause quite a problem so the biological nematode control is an easy solution - simply mix into a solution and water plants when larvae are active (soil temperature should approximately be above 5ºC/40ºF).
12. Earth up potatoes with soil as they grow so that the early stems are not hit by frost.
13. Remember when picking rhubarb, pick only a third of the total number of stems so as to not take all the energy from the stool.

1. Pot up tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and pumpkins in the greenhouse.
2. Plant out cabbages, broccoli, brussels sprouts ,cauliflower, and leeks to their final positions in the garden.
3. Continue to sow either outside or under cloches broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, peas, lettuce, radish, spinach and swede.
4. Protect crops from carrot fly by covering with horticultural fleece or enviromesh.
5. Pinch out the growing points of broad beans as soon as beans start to appear at the base of the plant to reduce the risk of blackfly attack.
6. Weed your onions and garlic to reduce competition for nutrients and water. Applying an onion fertiliser will boost growth. We use Chempak Organic Onion Feed.
7. Put codling moth traps on your apple trees and your plum trees, kepp on the trees till august.The pheromone traps are a safe and natural way to trap the codling moth ensuring good clean fruit later in the year.
8. Water well ( yes even with all the rain we get) young fruit trees as they are putting on rapid new growth.
9. Hang fly traps in the greenhouse to control whitefly, thrips and other pests.
10. Now is a good time to sow a new lawn and also to repair any lawn damage.