Garden and greenhouse tips for May

17:05:20 5th May 2010

Garden and greenhouse owners are now well into the month of May and might be looking forward to a long summer during which their plants will flourish.

As such, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has published some pointers to keep growers busy over the next few weeks.

What should be done in the garden depends on the weather, which can vary from region to region, but horticulturalists should generally look out for late frosts, which could be disastrous for tender plants.

Weeds should regularly be hoed off, while greenhouse vents and doors should be opened on warm days.

Gardeners should aim to get the lawnmower out around once per week and also clip hedges after ensuring there are no nesting birds in them.

Now is also a good time to investigate ways to recycle water and collect rainwater for irrigation.

The RHS has a number of events coming up, including the famous Chelsea Flower Show, which takes place later this month.