14 May 2020
5 best plants for your garden in May
Our Director of Horticulture Richard Barley reveals the top plants for your garden in this late spring month.
As garden centres are reopening after a long lockdown closure, it’s the perfect time to get planting.
So, whether you’re a green-fingered expert or gardening beginner, we’ve picked the top five plants for your May garden, and, as a bonus, the best plant for window boxes.
These stunning choices are readily available from garden centres and will turn even the smallest space into something beautiful.
1. Lavender
Lavender likes a sunny spot and free-draining soil. This pretty plant is long-flowering and a firm favourite with bees. Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ is a particularly good variety.
2. Lamb’s ears
Lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) is a great textural low-growing herbaceous plant for sunny sites. Tolerant of dry conditions, it is also very popular with bees when in flower. S. byzantina ‘Big Ears’ and ‘Silver Carpet’ are great cultivar choices.
3. Salvia (sage genus)
There are around 1,000 species of Salvia, generally herbaceous plants or low shrubs. They are incredibly diverse, with colourful flowers and scented foliage. Some are culinary herbs.
4. Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea or purple coneflower is a spectacular summer-flowering perennial, perfect for colourful borders with good rich moist soil.
5. Agapanthus
These beautiful plants have strap-shaped leaves and blue bursts of flowers on tall stems in summer. Many varieties are available, in a range of shades from blue to white. ‘Navy Blue’ and ‘Black Pantha’ are especially striking.
For window boxes: Pelargoniums
You can’t beat some good pelargoniums.
There are so many different varieties available, with various shades of flower colour, mostly reds, pinks and whites.
They are very easy to grow, and will perform well in window boxes, displaying flowers right across spring and summer.
