Grown from seed, the veritable Himalayan Blue Poppy, Meconopsis baileyi.
The Garden Website for May
Need Help? - Job Postings - Learn How to Prune - Garden & Plant Events
May Introduction - May Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - May Garden Chores
May Garden Stars - Plant Police - Water Restrictions
Lawn Care - Lawn Maintenance Tips - All About Vegetable Gardening - Improving Garden Beds
May Pruning - Houseplants - Birdies - Pollinators
All About Bedding Plants (Annuals)
May Arrangement - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Peonies
May Introduction - May Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - May Garden Chores
May Garden Stars - Plant Police - Water Restrictions
Lawn Care - Lawn Maintenance Tips - All About Vegetable Gardening - Improving Garden Beds
May Pruning - Houseplants - Birdies - Pollinators
All About Bedding Plants (Annuals)
May Arrangement - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Peonies
Parrot tulips and the new foliage of a cutleaf Japanese maple.
May Intro
Double Play Big Bang Spirea
May is all about bright new neon green leaves and shiny satin petals that tie neighourhoods together with ribbons of outrageous colour. It’s also about dirty fingernails and knees, which I can attest to. It’s planting time and I’ve got to get my veggies and bedding plants out of their pots and into the ground. Here in Vancouver, B.C, I can plant in early May, but for most of Canada, mid-May is the traditional and safest planting time. If in doubt, check with your local garden centre for the recommended time to plant your tomatoes and other frost tender plants outside. And check the weather too just in case there’s some chill-thing going on down your way.
Timing is everything when it comes to planting. I try to organize my schedule accordingly: a cloudy, cool day followed by rain. I confess I’ve planted the veggies and flowers when it’s been too hot for me, never mind the plants. The poor little guys had to work hard to survive and they suffered for it. Despite May being such a busy gardening month, I do have a fondness for it. I’m sure I am not alone, after all it’s associated with the end of school and the beginning of summer holidays – whoohoo! Enjoy your May, hope you get all the planting done and have time to enjoy the flowers. Cheers, Amanda 
Ostrich ferns and a rhododendron at Dart's Hill Gardens, Surrey, BC.
Learn How to Prune
What to prune now? How to prune? What tools to use? How far can a plant be cut back? All are great questions. Register here for Amanda to teach you all about pruning your plants in your garden at your convenience.
Need Help?
Need help figuring what to do in your garden? Make an appointment for Amanda to come to your garden to show you how to grow food, sow seeds, prune, design beds etc. Need help trying to figure out how to get the garden ready for spring? Get Amanda to teach you the ropes by making an appointment here.
Landscape Job PostingsFor landscapers looking for work and landscape companies looking to hire.
If you are looking for work or if you wish to post a position please go to Job Postings. Landscapers, post your contact info here. 
Solomon seal flowers, Polygonatum biflorum.
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Amanda's Garden Blog
Pigsqueak, Bergenia cordifolia.
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May Garden Stars
Golden Chain Tree, Laburnum x watereri 'Vossii', deciduous tree. Hanging clusters of fragrant, yellow pea-like flowers. Part to full sun, 20 ft x 15 ft. Zones 6 to 8. All parts are poisonous.
Large camas, Camassia leichtlinii, summer bulb, 3 - 4 ft x 1 -2 ft, sun to part shade, Zones 5 to 9.
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Gladiator Flowering Onion, summer fragrant, flowering bulb, full sun, 44 inches, Zones 4 to 8.
Basket of Gold, Aurinia saxatilis, deciduous ground cover, sun, dry, 1 ft x 1.5ft. Zones 4 to 7.
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Wood anemone, Anemone nemorosa, herbaceous perennial, 0.50 to 1.50 ft, part sun to shade, summer dormancy, naturalizes. Zones 5 to 8.
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple', deciduous shrubby tree, sun, 10 - 15ft x 15 - 20ft. Zones 4 to 8.
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Snowflake Doublefile Viburnum, Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake', deciduous shrub, 5-8 ft x 8 -19 ft. Full sun, part shade. Zones 5 to 8.
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Columbine, Aquilegia vulgaris, herbaceous perennial, 18" - 3ft, sun to part shade. Zones 3 to 8.
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Miss Kim Korean lilac, Syringa pubescens subsp. patula 'Miss Kim', deciduous shrub, fragrant, part to full sun, 4 - 8ft x 5 - 7ft, slow growth. Zones 3 to 8.
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GARDEN & PLANT RELATED EVENTS
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East Vancouver Garden Tour
Date: Sunday, June 16 Time: 10:00 to 4:00 pm. A dozen or so splendid gardens will be on the tour. Meeting place will be at Figaro's Garden Centre (1896 Victoria Drive at 3rd Ave.). Tickets are $15.00 per person. For more information click here. |
South Delta Garden Tour 2019
Date: Sunday, June 23 Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Private and distinct gardens in Ladner, Boundary Bay and Tswawwassen. Tickets available for purchase, cash only, starting May 10th at Harris Nursery, Sunnyside Nursery, West Cost Seeds. No children under 12 years and sorry, no pets. For more click here. |
Heritage Vancouver Garden Tour
Dates: Saturday, June 22 & Sunday, June 23
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Organization: Heritage Vancouver Society
website: http://heritagevancouver.org/garden-tour-2019/
Fifteen unique and incredible gardens are available to view over a 2 day period as a self-guided tour. Early Bird tickets are available until May 25 for $30.00. Regular priced tickets are $35.00 per person. fundraiser for the Heritage Vancouver Society. For tickets click here. For questions about the tour contact Heritage Vancouver at info@heritagevancouver.org Click here to see Amanda's blog on last year's gardens.
Dates: Saturday, June 22 & Sunday, June 23
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Organization: Heritage Vancouver Society
website: http://heritagevancouver.org/garden-tour-2019/
Fifteen unique and incredible gardens are available to view over a 2 day period as a self-guided tour. Early Bird tickets are available until May 25 for $30.00. Regular priced tickets are $35.00 per person. fundraiser for the Heritage Vancouver Society. For tickets click here. For questions about the tour contact Heritage Vancouver at info@heritagevancouver.org Click here to see Amanda's blog on last year's gardens.
LIST YOUR GARDEN & PLANT RELATED EVENTS
For plant and garden club events, plant sales, garden tours, workshops and other plant related events.
To post your event here click here.
For plant and garden club events, plant sales, garden tours, workshops and other plant related events.
To post your event here click here.
May PLANT COMBO
A hosta, Solomon seal, sweet violets and pig squeak thrive together in this moist and shady garden.
A white edged 'Patriot' hosta with Solomon Seal (Polygonatum biflorum), in the background. On the right are the pink nodding flowers of the Red Bloom pig squeak, Bergenia cordifolia 'Rotblum'. Sweet violets, Viola odorata are the ground cover on the lower left.
Watering Restrictions start May 1
For Metro Vancouver, B.C.
Water restrictions start May 1 and end October 15. If you don’t live in Metro Vancouver, contact your local municipality for their watering restrictions. Residential lawn watering schedule:
Even-numbered addresses: Wed and Sat, 4 to 9 a.m. Odd-numbered addresses: Thurs and Sun, 4 to 9 a.m. Trees, shrubs & flowers: Any day from 4 to 9 am for sprinklers, hand watering and drip irrigation. All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device. Non-residential (businesses) lawn watering schedule: Even-numbered addresses: Mon, 1 to 6 a.m., Fri 4 to 9 am. Odd-numbered addresses: Tues, 1 to 6 a.m., Fri 4 to 9 am Trees, shrubs & flowers: Any day from 1 to 9 am for sprinklers, hand watering and drip irrigation. All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device. For more information, click here plant police
A sad looking Mexican mock orange survived but suffered through a harsh winter.
This Mexican mock orange is suffereing from winterkill as well as poor soil. Instead of a soil full of organic rich soil and a 3 inch layer of a woody mulch, landscape fabric was laid under a thin layer of a larva rock mulch. To compound the situation, it was not watered during the dry summer months. If it had received proper care and suitable growing conditions, this Mexican mock orange would not be in such a bad way. Remove any dead plant parts. Cut just above a healthy outward facing bud or the entire branch if it is dead. Fertilize with kelp or fish fertilizer. To revive it, spread at least a couple of inches of compost, SeaSoil or well-rotted manure and mix in a couple of inches. Lay 3 inches of an organic mulch on top of the entire soil surface. Avoid allowing the soil to dry out any time of the year.
Veggie Garden Tips
This practical vegetable garden is composed of raised beds and paths. University of British Columbia.
If you have the option, locate your vegetable patch close to an outdoor faucet and near the kitchen. It’s so much easier to take care of, water and harvest. Make the beds 4 foot wide so you can reach in from all sides. The length of the bed depends on your space, but remember you do have to walk around it. A garden that’s 4ft by 6ft is easier to navigate around. It’s certainly easier to maintain and less daunting than the whole back yard converted into a mini farm.
For gardens larger than four feet wide, a mulched 2 foot wide path makes access and taking care of the veggie beds much easier. Paths also divide and define the space and help organize the crops. Use coarse wood chips or bark so it lasts longer than a fine mulch. Mulched walkways look pretty good, there’s fewer weeds and feels good underfoot. Lay it at least 3 inches deep on top of a layer of landscape fabric. Click here for more on vegetable gardening. Designing A Vegetable Garden
Place tall and vining crops on the north side of veggie beds.
It’s a good idea to have a plan of where to plant each crop before planting your veggies. Plant tall plants and vining veggies, such as trellised grown cucumbers, on the north side. This prevents the taller plants from shading their smaller neighbours.
A map and photos of last year's garden are handy to have, especially when it comes to rotating the crops. Problems arise when the same crop is grown in the same soil 2 years or more in a row. For example, tomatoes will be prone to fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, late blight, powdery mildew, tomato hornworms and flea beetles. Nutrient deficiencies are also bound to occur even if soil amendments such as compost and/or fertilizers are added. To learn more about crop rotation click here. For more on vegetable gardening click here. Planting Different Crops Together
The scallions ward off insects between the lettuce and bush beans. The beans also provide nitrogen to the lettuce and pack choy.
Companion planting is a great way to utilize as much garden space as possible while encouraging healthy growth, deterring insects and improving soil. Beans, peas and other legumes provide nitrogen to nearby crops as they capture nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots. Legumes help feed neighbouring crops such as lettuce, corn and tomatoes.
Root crops partner well with leafy crops (lettuce and onions) and above ground fruiting crops such as peppers. They also mix well with carrots or another root crop. Add a row of bush beans between any of the crops to provide nitrogen. I love the look and the efficiency of combining lettuce, broccoli and kale together. Once a short term crop has been harvested such as radish, lettuce and spinach, plant another crop in the same spot. Broccoli, cabbage, kale, bush beans and bush cucumbers will quickly fill in the space and don’t forget edible flowers such as nasturtiums, calendula. To repel insects consider a band of marigolds. For more on companion planting, crop rotation and succession planting click here. 
A solid planting of happy marigolds help ward off insects in a vegetable garden.
Planting VEggies
Tomatoes should be planted at least 2 feet apart.
A newly planted bed at the beginning of April.
Only three weeks later and the plants have settled nicely into their new home.
Using Bedding Plants/annuals
Annuals provide dazzling flowers throughout the summer. The blue flower is Bacopa Scopia Double Indigo, the pink are Calibrachoa Colibri 'Cherry Lace'.
Petunias, begonias, impatiens and other bedding plants offer gardens a kaleidoscope of colours with a myriad of floral faces. These short lived plants are referred to as annuals. They only last one growing season then die, but they put on quite a show before they kick-the-bucket. Annuals grow from seed, produce foliage and stems then flowers – lots of them followed by seeds and then they die. They don’t live year to year like perennials. To prolong their life, to encourage more flowers and to keep plants more compact. Cut off their spent blooms – before they go to seed.
Because annuals only have one shot to reproduce, they churn out lots and lots of flowers and this is why we love them so. Their brightly coloured blossoms are designed to attract pollinating insects, but they look pretty good to us humans too. Buying Bedding Plants/Annuals
A six cell pack of impatiens at $3.99. That's only 66 cents a plant.
Since bedding plants put on quite the show, it’s nice to have lots in the garden, but it can become quite costly. Every year the price of annuals increases, like everything else it seems. To get more bang for your buck purchase them in cell packs, not individual pots. You can buy 6 in a cell pack for less than one in a 4 inch pot; such a bargain!
Avoid buying bedding plants when they are in full flower or have finished flowering as they are too old and passed their prime. Select ones that are just coming into bud as you want them to flower in your garden, not in the store. When selecting bedding plants for your garden, do read their labels. Select impatiens, coleus and begonias for part shade to shade. Sun lovers include zinnias, sunflowers, lavatera, sweet peas. Know the heights of the plants and widths. 
Just one 4-inch petunia costs $2.99.
Designing with Bedding Plants
Simple but effect designs are accomplished with pink geraniums and white cleome, which are bordered by the silver curry plant. Kew Gardens, England.
If you have been disappointed with your bedding plant display, it could be because there wasn’t enough of them, they were planted them too far apart and/or they were planted in a single row. For more of an impact, plant them in blocks or multiple rows. A single row of marigolds spaced 8 inches apart just doesn’t cut it, but three rows of marigolds spaced 4 inches apart looks way better. If you only want to plant a few, plant an odd number of marigolds in a group of 3, 5 or 9. Instead of a wee bit of colour from one marigold, you get a bold splash of loveliness.
Colour: Too many colours are distracting, unharmonious and not pleasing to the eye. Use only two or three colours max for a pleasing, sophisticated look. Monochramatic colour themes just use one colour, For example, all blue display includes varying shades of blue such as violet, mauve, deep blue, navy blue etc. Don’t forget to add white, silver or grey in the garden as they act as a perfect foil between colours that don’t go together such as orange and pink. I often use dusty miller with their soft, silvery lacy foliage and white alyssum. They bear many clusters of tiny white flowers, which are also fragrant. spacing Bedding Plants
Lay out the garden beds by placing plants on top of the soil while they are still in their pots.
The space between plants makes a difference in the overall effect of an annual display. If they are too close together they will crowd each other out, some will weaken and die. Too far apart and the plants are disconnected and the desired look is lost. Spacing them closer together shades the soil and deters weeds. Here are some guidelines to help you plan.
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May Garden Chores
A yellow and brown bearded iris.
Please note that coloured text are linked to another page on this website or another website. Most of the pictures are also linked and will redirect you if you click on them.
Pruning
Cut back spindly lilacs and other spring flowering plants once the have finished flowering. Cut just above a bud (node).
It’s safe to prune forsythia and other spring flowering plants as soon as they have finished flowering. Not all plants need a haircut, just the ones that are leggy. Only remove one-third of overall growth, no more. Remove dead, diseased, broken and crossing branches. Cut off or cut back overly long limbs and ones that are in the way of people walking by. Avoid pruning plants just before they flower and just after they put out their new spring foliage. This weakens them and they don’t like it.
Birds are busy nesting and raising their young this month. Before pruning shrubs and trees, have a good look around for their nests. Hummingbirds generally live nearby to any feeders so keep your eye out for their wee, and I mean ‘wee’ nests. They are difficult to spot so be mindful when you are pruning. For more on pruning click here. 
Inspect shrubs and trees for bird nests before pruning.
Houseplants & Tropicals
Angel trumpets and other plants that have been inside must be acclimatized slowly to the outside.
Now is a great time to fertilize, divide and repot houseplants. I have a couple here that are staring at me right now…accusingly. Repot using potting soil, not garden soil. Add a slow release fertilizer or purchase soil with it already included. Select a pot one or two inches larger. Don’t put a wee plant into a huge container it usually ends up rotting away.
With a suspicious eye kept on the weather, you can begin to houseplants and tropicals (bougainvillea, coleus, geraniums etc.) for an hour in a shaded, protected location. Prolong the time and expose them to more weather each day until they can stay out all day and night. They have to be acclimatized to the outside (hardened off) first to prevent tissue damage and the loss of flowers. For more on hardening off click here. Garden Beds
After mixing in compost or other organic soil amendments, cover the soil with a 3 inch layer of mulch.
Weed, add compost, SeaSoil, triple mix, and/or well-rotted, aged manure. It’s best of its mixed it into the soil a few inches. If the garden bed has mulch, move it to one side or on a tarp, then add the compost or manure. If there is no mulch, lay 3 inches of chipped fir or recycled wood chips on top of the soil. Keep it a few inches from tree trunks and avoid covering plants. For more on improving soil click here.
Birdies Hummingbirds are nesting and taking care of their young so they really appreciate hummingbird feeders.
Inspect bird feeders, bird houses and bird baths and clean if necessary, if you haven’t done so already. At this time of year, hummingbirds rely on the kindness of those that offer them nectar. My hummingbird feeders have been very busy, so much so, they have gone dry before I even realized. They sure are keeping me on my toes but I am glad to help out, especially when they have their young’uns’ to feed.
Pollinators
Allowing this leek to flower provides more pollen and nectar for pollinating insects.
I try to resist the urge to destroy every dandelion and other weeds in my gardens. Apparently dandelions and other flowering weeds are essential for pollinating insects to feed on especially this time of year. Dandelions are a great source of pollen and nectar (and they are edible too if you are so inclined). Veggie flowers are also very appealing to pollinating insects. Instead of harvesting all your kale, lettuce, broccoli, carrots and radish let them mature and flower . Collect any seeds that form to save money on veggie seeds. And of course, avoid using insecticides, including soap and water, as they kill all insects and not just the plant eating ones. For more on insects click here.
Lawn Care for May
The lawn on the left is much healthier than the one on the right because it was cut to 3 inches and was cut more often.
This is the last good month to work on the lawn before it gets too hot and it enters into summer dormancy. As soon as temperatures goes above 24°C (75°F) lawn grass growth declines throughout Canada and the upper top third of the United States. Our grasses are cool season grasses and grow best in spring and fall. So if you still haven’t filled in the patchy spots in your lawn or if you want to replace the entire lawn, do it right away or even better, put it off until fall. For more info on renovating your lawn, click here
Lawn Maintenance Tips
Mow lawns frequently so you don't have to bag the clippings. You'll save on fertilizer too.
Container Time
An orange tuberous begonia and fuchsias prefer moist soil and shady conditions.
Don't be afraid to experiment and have fun. Here's a few tips:
May Arrangement
Solomon Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) chartreuse bells, white flowers on the top are Snow Day pearl bush (Exochorda 'Snow Day Surprise'), blue star shaped flowers are camas (Camassia leichtlinii), Spanish bluebell blue and pink bells (Hyacinthoides hispanica), white star-like flowers are Mexican mock orange (Choisya ternata).
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Plant of the month
Tree Peony
Paeonia Suffruticosa
Tree peony blossom are huge, reaching over 8 inches across.
Tree peonies grow to a height of 5 feet with a spread of 4 feet.
A yellow tree peony called Kinkaku. In the rear is an even bigger pink tree peony.
Tree peonies do best in full sun and will reach for it if they don't have enough.
This is a sucker from a grafted tree peony. It's best if it is removed, but it's very pretty.
Flowers are on firm stalks that help keep them upright unless it rains.
Golden stamens fill the centre of these lovely flowers.
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Common Name: tree peony
Botanical Name: Paeonia suffruticosa Form: graceful vase shape Family: Paeoniaceae Genus: Paeonia Species: suffruticosa Plant Type: deciduous, woody shrub Mature Size: 3 – 5 ft x 3 -4 ft Origin: China, Tibet Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9 Foliage: attractive matte green foliage made of deeply divided leaflets Flowers: huge 6 to 8 inch flowers with satin-like petals in reds, pinks, white and prominent bright yellow stamens Fruit: large seed pods that resemble crowns Exposure: sun to part shade Soil: rich moist soil that drains well Uses: specimen, borders, accent, background Propagation: seed Pruning: little needed, just remove dead growth and any suckers that arise from the roots Problems: not common: canker, leaf blight, scale (ants on the buds cause no harm so leave them be) Cultivars: many! Comments: Tree peonies are cousins of garden peonies, however, they are not herbaceous. Like their name suggests, tree peonies do not die down for winter. As they age, they reach 5 feet at maturity and to a width of 5 feet. Compared to their lesser cousins, their huge magnificent blossoms flower about 3 weeks earlier and are much, much larger. Both types of peonies benefit from deadheading as soon as their flowers have died. Plant in fall or early spring as summer is just too hot and dry. They benefit from a rich soil so add leafmould, compost or well-rotted manure. Keep soil moist and water during drought. Many tree peonies are grafted onto a rootstock. Remove any shoots (suckers) that emerge from the roots. Mulch the soil around it, but don’t cover the stems. It takes up to 4 years for newly planted tree peonies to flower so be patient. Too much shade also inhibits flowering. Plant at the same depth as it is in the container. If planted to shallow, it may produce suckers and it may fail to flower. Because the flowers are so large, plants tend to be top heavy when in flower. Stake them when necessary and refrain from planting them in open windy areas. 
A Kinkaku flower just about to open.
Large seed pods resemble crowns.
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THE GARDEN WEBSITE INDEX
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Container Growing 101Monthly Flower Arrangements
Growing Roses Introduction Mulching & Types Introduction |
for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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