In the Garden :: May 2026

Hi there everyone 😀

May is one of my favourite times in the garden. It used to be the only time of year we had any colour. Gradually over the last few years we have tried to extend our flowering season and now we do tend to have something going on for most of the year.

As is usual at this time of year a week away brings a huge difference in the garden and when we got back from the lodge at the beginning of the month things were really started to take off.

The roses and clematis are starting to do their thing …

The Rhapsody in Blue is looking the best it’s ever done and it smells absolutely divine …

The dark pink weigela we planted last year is starting to look fabulous …

There is plenty of activity going on in the greenhouse …

… and just look at my foxglove …

We are at home for the rest of May and, with a run of good weather, we have a list of garden jobs to keep us busy.

There was chance for a nice day out before we got cracking on the jobs though. We headed for Wightwick Manor with Jackie and Phil, a National Trust property which is about an hour away.  I will tell you more about it in a separate post.

Our first full day in the garden for this month was a warm one and a busy one. We started off out front … whilst it was nice and shady … and had a really good tidy up. I even shovelled the weeds from the gutter of the road …

We then moved round the back and plant pot washing was next on the agenda …

These have now been collected from every corner of the garden, sorted, washed and stowed away in one of the newly refurbished beer sheds.

That done …Martin moved on to some jet washing and I pruned a few shrubs.

At the moment we seem to have pigeons nesting at the bottom of the garden and our pergola seems to be their favourite spot to sit and deposit their poop all over the patio … which has already been jet washed once, but needed another go.

While Martin jet washed it again I dragged out the sewing machine and made some repairs to a fabric sail that we have re-hung … in the hope that it might stop some of the mess. Martin was all for buying and fitting those spiky things but I thought that may be a step too far …

By then we’d both had about enough. It was absolutely roasting so called it a day … apart from the watering that is 😀

All in all we had a very productive day. And just look at what a difference a day can make … this was my first peony this morning …

… and this was when we came in. Isn’t she a stunner …

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