May is the month that we see the days getting much shorter and cooler so we need to get the gardens ready for the coming winter.
There is not much to do in the way of seed sowing and seedling transplanting but we can plant trees and shrubs so that they can make new roots and get established before the colder wetter ground of the late winter. Once the leaves have finished falling we can think about pruning fruit trees and getting the sprays on for pest and disease control in the coming growing season.
The last of the spring bulbs should now be planted; be careful to mark were they are so that you do not damage them when weeding near the time that they will be emerging.
Lawns will be slowing down in their growth so raise the height of the mower to give the grass some help to over winter the frosts to come.
The virus that has shut down the country will result in the nursery industry having a difficult time, please support them as much as you are able because to loose many of the smaller nurseries we will not be able to get some of the more uncommon plants that are not seen in the large box stores that sell much more than plants.
The Chrysanthemum Circle were not able to hold their show but members did share photos of their blooms and were able to enjoy their own blooms at home. Keep an eye out in the newsletter for a link to the photos in the next week or so.
During the lockdown we went for many walks in our own area and I noticed a lot of gardening was underway, especially in some of the more needy gardens. We may yet see a renewed interest in gardening with the city returning to the real Garden City that it should be!
Make the most of the fine days, enjoy the garden and look forward to the next season, Michael Coulter
We want your problems!
Have a gritty garden problem you can’t solve — or just need some general advice? Email your questions to info@chsgardens.co.nz by end of day Sunday and we will post them in our weekly newsletter (during COVID-19 shutdown). Or consult our online facebook group