This beautiful sculpture by
Thomas Yano reminds me to
take time to look up, reach up,
and stretch my neck and lower
back during long work sessions
in the garden, particularly in the
busy months of April and May.M AY
Any planting that didn’t get done in April should happen in May. I like to have
the majority of the installations and planting for my business completed before
the end of May, if possible, when the weather usually is still fairly cool. A good
deal of pruning for height control also begins in May. Refer to the chapters on
pruning for details; consult the Encyclopedia of Perennials for information on
individual species and genera.
PlantinG
w Lots and lots of planting.
w In the home garden, for your records, take notes of locations of new
plantings.
w Transplanting and division of summer- and autumn-flowering perenni-
als can continue in May. Spring-flowering species can be divided after
flowering.
w This is a good time to move or remove any unwanted perennial
seedlings.
w Once everything has sprouted, take note of any empty spots for new
plantings.General Maintenance
w Topdressing can continue early in the month if new growth isn’t too
large to interfere.
w Weeding continues; especially strong are the dandelions and thistle.