Basil is one of the most popular herbs to grow in the UK, but it is also one of the most commonly killed by poor timing. Buy a supermarket pot in April, put it on a windowsill, and watch it slowly collapse. Grow it from seed at the right time with a little care and … Read more
Pumpkins are one of the most rewarding vegetables to grow in a UK garden, but they need more space, more warmth and more time than most beginners expect. Get the timing right and pumpkins grow vigorously, produce impressive fruit and look spectacular through late summer and autumn. Rush them into cold ground too early and … Read more
Sweetcorn is one of those crops that does brilliantly when you get the timing right and goes badly wrong when you do not. It is not a difficult plant to grow, but it does need warmth, and the UK gives you a fairly narrow window to work with. Sow too early and the seeds rot. … Read more
If you have ever grown tomatoes or courgettes on a windowsill and then put them straight outside in May, you will know what happens next. The plants stop growing. The leaves go pale. Sometimes they just give up altogether. It is incredibly frustrating, especially when you have looked after them for weeks. The good news … Read more
May is a great month for flowers. The soil is warm, the days are long, and most things you plant now will be flowering by July. Whether you have a border, a veg patch, or just a few pots outside the back door, there is plenty you can get going in May. One thing to … Read more
If you only have one good month for sowing in the UK, May is probably it. The soil has warmed up properly, days are long, and seeds that would have sat in cold ground doing nothing in March will germinate quickly and reliably now. You also still have enough growing season ahead of you that … Read more
May is the month when the garden stops waiting and starts demanding. Everything happens at once seeds need sowing, tender plants need planting out, weeds appear from nowhere, and somehow you’re also supposed to be keeping on top of watering, feeding, and pest control. It’s brilliant, but it helps to know what actually needs doing … Read more
May is when UK gardening properly gets going. The soil has warmed up, the days are long, and there’s a full season still ahead. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to get started, this is it. There’s a lot you can plant in May — both sowing seeds directly outside and getting tender … Read more