May in a Warwickshire garden is when everything finally goes from "potential" to "happening". Tulips are fading, sweet peas climbing, the grass starts doubling in length every fortnight, and the slugs come out in force. Get a few key jobs done now and the garden looks after itself through June and July.
Lawns & edges
Mowing should be in full swing by now — weekly or fortnightly depending on growth. Keep the blade at 25–30mm; any shorter and you stress the grass when summer drought hits. May is also the last chance to scarify or aerate before the heat — see our lawn treatment service for the full programme.
- Mow every 7–10 days, never take off more than a third of the height in one cut
- Re-cut lawn edges with a half-moon edger if they've blurred
- Feed with a spring lawn fertiliser — Miracle-Gro Lawn Maintenance or EverGreen 4-in-1 if weeds are an issue
- Overseed any thin patches — they germinate quickly in May warmth
Borders & planting
Once the risk of frost is gone (usually mid-May in Warwickshire), it's go time for tender bedding, runner beans, courgettes, dahlias and anything else that's been waiting indoors. Mulch your borders to lock in moisture before the summer heat arrives.
- Plant out hardened-off bedding after the second week of May
- Sow runner beans, climbing French beans and sweet corn outdoors
- Mulch borders 5–10cm deep with bark chippings or garden mulch
- Stake tall perennials before they flop — delphiniums, peonies, dahlias
- Sow biennial flowers (foxgloves, wallflowers) for next year
Weeds & pests
May is when annual weeds — chickweed, hairy bittercress, groundsel — set seed in vast quantities. Pull them before they flower and you save yourself ten times the work in July. Perennial weeds (bindweed, dock, dandelion) want digging out at the root.
- Hand-weed borders weekly — 15 minutes a week beats an hour a month
- Treat lawn weeds with a selective treatment now, before they spread further
- Watch for slugs and snails on emerging hostas, dahlias and lettuce — Doff Slug Pellets or beer traps
- Aphids on roses respond to BugClear Ultra — or just blast them off with a hose
- Bind weed and ground elder need digging out, not spraying — they'll regrow otherwise
Hedges & shrubs
Late May, after the main flush of growth, is a great time for the first hedge cut of the year — particularly box, privet and beech. Check for nesting birds first — it's the law during March–August. If birds are in residence, wait until they've fledged.
- First hedge cut around late May (after main growth, before nesting season ends if no birds present)
- Deadhead spring-flowering shrubs (rhododendrons, lilac) after they've finished
- Prune wisteria — long whippy shoots back to 5–6 buds
Watering & holiday cover
May is usually dry-ish but not desperate. Save proper watering effort for newly-planted things and containers. If you're heading off in May or June, set up a self-watering kit or ask a neighbour — pots can die in a long weekend of hot weather.
Quick May checklist
- ✓ Mow weekly
- ✓ Re-edge lawns
- ✓ Mulch borders
- ✓ Plant out tender bedding (after frosts)
- ✓ Sow climbing beans, sweet corn outdoors
- ✓ Hand-weed before things flower
- ✓ Stake tall perennials
- ✓ First hedge cut (check for birds first)
- ✓ Deadhead spring shrubs
- ✓ Set up holiday watering if going away
If May overwhelms you (it usually does), drop us a line — we'll do the heavy lifting and leave the planting and pruning for you to enjoy. Wherever you are in Leamington, Warwick or the villages, we're on hand.