Northeast May Garden To-Do List

May is the boss of us . Never bear in mind if the laundry needs doing or dinner is waiting , in May , you ’ll encounter us in the garden past sunset with a headlamp on and no apology . industrial plant growth kicks into high geared wheel , include that of dreaded Allium cepa grass , and if we do n’t stress to keep up with weeding and planting , we ’ll feel like we ’re losing primer coat . ( We ’re not . We ’ve still got June . )

face for vacancies in your garden , and start take them . If your local nurseries are open to the public , call in on rainy days to forefend crowds , and take reward of post order and delivery service when offered . Do n’t just think spring . Look for late - bloomers that will channel your garden and its pollinator through the heat of summer , such as one ofthese . And always leave room in your actual or practical handcart for aboriginal innkeeper plants to stand the louse and razzing in your garden .

Shop your own garden . Transplant extra self- and direct - sown seedlings . Scoop seedlings out with plenty of soil around the radical to help prevent transplant jounce . If seedling are tightly packed together , softly rag individuals out of the thump , and insert them into new place in the garden with space to grow robust . Water them in light but well , using a lachrymation can rose or hose mist nozzle .

Thin the extra seedlings you do n’t need elsewhere . By provide only a fraction of the abundant seedlings to grow where they landed , you ’ll be honor with sturdy root word , bigger flower , and larger yield . If pulling some out shake up the grunge around the keepers , just trim the unwanted seedlings off at the undercoat .

Move your houseplants outside . Even if they ’ve been in a gay window , give them at least a week of shade to acclimatize to higher outside light levels . Transition Lord’s Day - lover step by step into more gay areas , keeping an eye out for scorched leaf . Leave low - light lovers in shade . Some plants , such as rosemary ( Salvia genus Rosmarinus , Zones 8–10 ) and geraniums ( Pelargoniumspp . and cvs . , Zones 11–12 ) will thrive when planted in the garden . Others , such as begonias ( Begoniaspp . and cvs . , Zones 6–12 ) , Boston fern ( Nephrolepsis exaltata , Zones 10–12 ) , and figs ( Ficusspp . and cvs . , Zones 8–12 ) will be happy enough in their container , only need more frequent watering than you kick in them indoors .

Do theChelsea Chop . Pinch summer- and nightfall - blooming perennials — such as agastaches ( Agastachespp . and cvs . , Zones 4–11 ) , garden mums ( Chrysanthemumspp . and cvs . , Zones 5–9 ) , and bid perennials , such as ‘ African Blue ’ Basil the Great ( Ocimum‘African Blue ’ , Zone 10–12 ) and coleus ( Plectranthus scutellarioides , Zones 10–12)—once or double before Father ’s Day to advertize branching , more flowers , and sturdy upright ontogenesis .

Actively produce tips are right for rooting . set up cuttings by murder the second or third set of leave at the shank . Dust the prow closing with rooting hormone , and comfort it into dampened perlite or vermiculite . subtlety your cuttings from unmediated Lord’s Day , and mist them several times day by day to prevent wilting . Test for readiness after a twain of weeks by tugging softly . After they ’ve produce roots , pot them up to grow more for a few weeks before found them in the garden .

May is the making of garden and gardeners , from beginners to experts . relish the pull to be outside , and employ the calendar month to farm your attainment as a propagator and designer as well as to grow your garden .

— Kristin Green is author ofPlantiful : depart Small , Grow Big With 150 plant That Spread , Self - Sow , and Overwinter . She gardens in Bristol , Rhode Island .

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Southwest May Garden To-Do List

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May Garden To-Do List for the Mid-Atlantic

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A trunkful of plants from Avant Gardens in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, includes ‘Fusion Glow’ impatiens (Impatiens × ‘Balfusimglo’, Zones 10–12), ‘Bartzella’ peony (Paeonia ‘Bartzella’, Zones 4–9), and a tray of mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum, Zones 4–8). Photo: Kristin Green

May is a great month for filling in gaps in your garden beds and borders.

May is a great month for filling in gaps in your garden beds and borders. Photo: Kristin Green

White lace flower (Orlaya grandiflora, annual) seedlings have been teased out of the clump, roots intact, and are ready for transplanting.

White lace flower (Orlaya grandiflora, annual) seedlings have been teased out of the clump, roots intact, and are ready for transplanting. Photo: Kristin Green

A sea of common teasel (Dipsacus fullonum, biennial Zones 3–8) seedlings makes a sweet spring ground cover around Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum, Zones 3–8), but most should be thinned to allow only a few to grow and flower with adequate room.

This Boston fern is going outside for the summer.

This Boston fern is going outside for the summer. Photo: Kristin Green

Good candidates for the Chelsea Chop are agastaches, like this Poquito™ dwarf hummingbird mint (Agastache ‘Butter Yellow’, Zones 5–10)

Good candidates for the Chelsea Chop are agastaches, like this Poquito™ dwarf hummingbird mint (Agastache ‘Butter Yellow’, Zones 5–10). Photo: Fionuala Campion

These pinched tips of tender perennials, including ‘Wendy’s Wish’ salvia (Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’, Zones 9–11) and silver spurflower (Plectranthus argentatus, Zones 10–11) are rooting in perlite.