Sow Some Pumpkins

Pumpkins have always been one of my favourite plants to grow from seed.

As well as tasting amazing and being perfect for carving at Halloween, Pumpkins are one of the most satisfying plants to grow – it’s so exciting peeking under the leaves to see them growing bigger and bigger!

I’ve picked out three varieties, each with their own unique quality: Baby Bear is easy to grow and tastes great, the Atlantic Giant grows absolutely huge, while the Charmant is the classic Halloween pumpkin that’s perfect for carving.

Raise the stakes

This recent sunny weather means herbaceous perennials are bursting into life even faster than normal.

If you haven’t already, I’d really recommend you stake up your plants now.

Getting stakes and supports in early isn’t just good for your plants, it also means come summer they’ll have grown around the stakes and hidden them.

There's all sorts of stakes and supports you can use in the garden – I’m a big fan of these extendable gro-stakes. As well as having a ridged surface for climbing plants to cling to, their clever design means you can actually extend them as and when your plants grow taller!

Tender Loving Care

Now that May’s here, it’s finally time to bring tender plants you’ve been overwintering out into the garden!

Things like dahlia tubers and exotic plants can be brought out of the greenhouse and placed in their final position, ready for summer.

While the recent weather has been amazing, frosts can still continue well into May, so it’s worth picking up a roll or two of horticultural fleece, just in case we do experience some late frost.