How to Harden Off Plants in the UK

Tomato seedlings in pots and trays hardening off on a patio in a UK garden ready to plant out

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 Gardening Jobs in the UK

Two people working in a vegetable garden in May in the UK tending lettuce and salad crops

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

What to Plant in May in the UK

Raised bed vegetable garden in May in the UK with tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and nasturtiums

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