As all my gardening friends know, May is one of those tricky months. The weather may or may not be what we are hoping for, influencing what we can or cannot plant. The early part of May can still have some cold nights and frosty mornings. Don’t be disappointed because before you know it, we will be in the full-blown heat of June and the summer months that follow.
We are all anxious to get our vegetables in and May is the perfect month to plant beets, leaf lettuce, peas, radishes, and spinach. There are also lots of perennials and annuals that are hardy enough to be planted now. A few of my favorite perennials to plant in May are Calendula, Centranthus, creeping Phlox, and Iberis. Annuals are a great way to pop in color while your perennials are waking up and filling in. This season I decided to plant a beautiful deep purple Alyssum along with some stunning Rocket Mix snapdragons. Keep a close eye on the temperatures in the earliest part of May and be prepared with a frost cloth for any new plantings that may be affected by those sudden drops in temperature.
Mother’s Day has always been the general rule of thumb as far as when it is safe to start planting those wonderful tomatoes, peppers, squashes, and all the beautiful summer flowers that bring the pollinators to our garden spaces. When planting your vegetable gardens, consider planting extra to give to the senior centers in your area or to pass on to family and friends. Another extremely important thing to try and do when planting your gardens is to invite and encourage any children and young adults to help you. Being outside among plants, in the dirt and learning about growing edible plants is so important. Here at Ashland Greenhouses, we have a large variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers to choose from. Our staff are happy to answer any questions you may have and help you choose the perfect combination of plants for an amazing garden.
Our hanging baskets look AMAZING and are a great Mother’s Day gift. Another wonderful gift idea for any occasion is one of our gift cards. You can purchase them here at the store or on our website at www.ashlandgreenhouses.com. We have our free “Heat Lovers” class May 24th at 10:00am, space is limited so please call to sign up. Be sure to check out our website for more upcoming events and classes as well.
Here’s to an amazing season of sunshine and happiness!
Rona Jackson
