Seeds to sow now:
Indoor or in a heated greenhouse
Coriander
Cress
Forget-me-not
Ornamental pepper
Outside
Antwerp hollyhock, Fig-leaved hollyhock, Hollyhock
Aubretia, Rock cress, Aubrieta, Aubrietia
Basil, Sweet basil, Common basil
Beet, Beetroot, Chard
Beetroot, Garden beet
Borecole, Kale
Bristly hollyhock
Broccoli
Cabbage
Candytuft
Cardoon
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Cornflower
Delphinium
French bean, Fine bean
Italian beetroot, Beetroot, Garden beet
Kohl rabi
Love-in-a-mist
Marrow
Nasturtium
Normandy sorrel
Ornamental winter kale
Radish
Spinach
Spinach, Summer spinach
Spring onion
Sweet corn
Sweet pea
Swiss chard, Ruby chard, Rhubard chard
Turnip
Outside under cover
Sweet corn
Shows and events:
Update 12/04/2022
I have checked the 2022 events listed below and have added comments where necessary. Please check the show website before travelling, some events may have Covid restrictions in place, others might have to be cancelled at the last minute.
I'll try to keep this list up to date as the situation changes. Regards Nick.
The Garden Museum: The Garden Museum: Wild & Cultivated Fashioning the Rose
The Garden Museum: Wild & Cultivated Fashioning the Rose @ The Garden Museum
An exhibition and celebration of roses in fashion from the Victorian era to today.
- Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB
British Asparagus Festival
Auctions, music, competitions, Morris dancing and food festival
Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire, WR10 1PT
Arundel Castle and Gardens: Allium extravaganza
Allium extravaganza @ Arundel Castle and Gardens
Thousands of alliums in flower throughout the walled garden.
- Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9AB
Winchcombe Cotswold Walking Festival
Themed walks, including flowers, history and archaeology.
Winchcombe, Glouscestershire
Smallholding and Countryside Festival
A celebration of smallholding and rural life.
Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, LD2 3SY
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Perhaps the most famous and prestigious flower show in the world. It has been held for over 100 years, starting in 1862 and was originally known as the Great Spring Show. It was held at the RHS garden in Kensington, moving to the Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds in 1913, when it was a three day show. The whole event including the 12,000 sq m Great Pavilion and all of the show gardens are put together in just three weeks (19 days) and dismantled in the 5 days after the show.
Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4SR
Wye Valley River Festival
Two-weeks of events, programme of shows and festivities.
Multiple locations in the Wye Valley
The Suffolk Show
A traditional agricultural county show.
Trinity Park, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8UH
Scone Palace: Scone Palace Garden Fair
Scone Palace Garden Fair @ Scone Palace
Held in the gardens of Scone Palace. Plant societies and nurseries will be offering gardening advice and plant sales.
- Isla Road, Perth, Perthshire PH2 6BD
Taste of Grampian Festival
Scotland's biggest one day food and drink festival. Local Scottish produce, arts, crafts and demonstrations.
P&J Live, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire
Royal Cornwall Show
The agriculture show is Cornwall's biggest annual event.
The Royal Cornwall Events Centre, Whitecross, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7JE
The Royal Windsor Flower Show
Gardening workshops, talks, displays and competitions.
York Club, Great Windsor Park, Berkshire, SL4 2BS
The NEC: BBC Gardeners' World Live Confirmed going ahead
BBC Gardeners' World Live @ The NEC
Show gardens, gardening advice, demonstrations and the chance to buy plants! Run in conjunction with BBC Good Food Show Summer.
- North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham, West Midlands B40 1NT
The NEC: BBC Good Food Show Summer Confirmed going ahead
BBC Good Food Show Summer @ The NEC
Run in conjunction with BBC Gardeners' World Live at the NEC.
- North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham, West Midlands B40 1NT
RHS Garden Hyde Hall: British Cactus & Succulent Society Exhibition
British Cactus & Succulent Society Exhibition @ RHS Garden Hyde Hall
Displays of cacti and succulents, expert advice and sales of UK Grown plants.
- Creephedge Lane, Rettendon Common, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET
RHS Garden Harlow Carr: RHS Garden Harlow Carr Flower Show
RHS Garden Harlow Carr Flower Show @ RHS Garden Harlow Carr
Harlow Carr's flower show is a three day event hosting specialist nurseries and trade stands with stunning displays, food stalls and family entertainment.
- RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1QB
GLEE
One of the largest trade only gardening and gift shows in the UK. This years show has moved from the usual spring dates to late June.
The NEC Birmingham, West Midlands
Hampton Court Palace: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival @ Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is the largest annual flower show in the World.
Lots of large and smaller show gardens and marquees displaying flowers, plants and fruit. A whole marquee is dedicated for the 'Festival of roses'. Hampton Court has 34 acres of parkland so the flower show is able to spread out more than Chelsea. Unlike Chelsea where you can only purchase plants on the last day sell-off, at Hampton Court you can purchase plants and garden sundries on all days. In the last couple of hours in the afternoon of the last show day, a lot of the plants that have been in the display gardens are sold off at a reduced prices, so you may get a bargin. However, this also means that in late afternoon it's a bit frenetic and difficult to see the displays at their finest. 30 minutes by train from London Waterloo.
- East Molesey, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU
Winterbourne House & Garden: Rare Plant Fair
Rare Plant Fair @ Winterbourne House & Garden
Specialist Plant Fairs in Unique Gardens
- University of Birmingham, 58 Edgbaston Park Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2RT
RHS Garden Harlow Carr: Sweet Pea Weekend
Sweet Pea Weekend @ RHS Garden Harlow Carr
The National Sweet Pea Society are participating in the Sweet Pea weekend at RHS Harlow Carr.
- RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1QB
Tatton Park: RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park @ Tatton Park
- Knutsford, Cheshire
Ragley Hall: The Game Fair
The Game Fair @ Ragley Hall
One of the World's largest game fairs. Celebrating British country life. Displays of archery, falconry, fishing, traditional crafts, clay shooting and gun dog handling. The show also includes food, drink, produce and lifestyle sales stalls.
- Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5NJ
RHS Garden Hyde Hall: RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show
RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show @ RHS Garden Hyde Hall
A five day flower show set in the grounds of RHS Garden Hyde Hall. Specialist plant nurseries, garden help, tips and advice, live music as well as refreshments.
- Creephedge Lane, Rettendon Common, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET
Southport Flower Show Confirmed going ahead
The UK's largest independent flower show with over 300 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors in 4 days.
Victoria Park, Southport, Lancashire, PR8 2BZ
The NEC: Autumn Fair Confirmed going ahead
Autumn Fair @ The NEC
A wholesale home, gift and fashion exhibition for shops and retailers.
- North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham, West Midlands B40 1NT
RHS Garden Wisley: RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show Confirmed going ahead
RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show @ RHS Garden Wisley
Six day flower show featuring nurseries and garden trade suppliers. Including the National Dahlia Society Show, NAFAS floral displays and the Surrey Sculpture Society Trail. Pre-booking required
- Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB
Abingdon Air & Country Show
Vintage vehicles, steam engines, flying displays and country crafts.
Abingdon Airfield, Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Winterbourne House & Garden: Brimingham Honey Show
Brimingham Honey Show @ Winterbourne House & Garden
All things bees and honey to celebrate Heritage Open Days 'Edible England'. Meet beekeepers and buy local honey. In collaboration with Birmingham Bee Keepers
- University of Birmingham, 58 Edgbaston Park Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2RT
Newby Hall & Gardens: Harrogate Autumn Flower Show
Harrogate Autumn Flower Show @ Newby Hall & Gardens
A 3 day flower show celebrating autumn flowering plants and hosting of the Northern Championships of the National Vegetable Society. Stalls selling plants, garden equipment, food and dring.
- Newby Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 5AE
Ragley Hall: The ARB Show
The ARB Show @ Ragley Hall
Trade show for Arboriculturalists and tree care professionals.
- Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5NJ
Arundel Castle and Gardens: Plant Fair
Plant Fair @ Arundel Castle and Gardens
- Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9AB
Grand Designs Live - The NEC
Home and garden show based on the Channel 4 TV series of the same name, hosted by Kevin McCloud.
The NEC, Birmingham
National Honey Show
Sales, exhibitions and judging of honey and bee produce.
Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ
All event details have been entered as accurately as possible, but please check with the event organisers before travelling to avoid disappointment.
The UKGardening web site has been running since 1998. The idea behind the site has always been to provide what we think will be interesting and useful information for the novice gardener.
Jobs to do in the garden this week.
- Continually nip out side shoots from upright (cordon) tomato plants. These reduce the amount of food available to fruit baring branches. If growing plants in the greenhouse, nip out the growing tip after the plant has produced 4-5 fruiting trusses, reduce this to 3-4 if growing tomatoes outside. See here, for more information: https://youtu.be/zFBgCBaFSnk
- Cover strawberries and fruit bushes with netting to protect them from birds. Start to feed the plants weekly when the fruit starts to form.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs, including ceanothus and forsythia, after they have bloomed. Give topiary a light trim after a spurt in spring growth.
- Buy plants in strips or trays that are compact and sturdy, the compost that they are growing in should be moist. Try to buy plants in bud, with few open blooms.
- Dead head azaleas and rhododendrons.
- Introduce fish into a new pond.
- If your daffodils, in the past, have been attacked by the narcissus bulb fly (Merodon equestris - the larvae will eat the centre of the bulb), firm down the soil around the bulbs or use fleece or similar to cover daffodil bulbs to stop female flies from laying eggs, preventing their larvae causing damage. Derris powder was traditionally used as a treatment, but it is no longer available (Derris powder contains high levels of the rotenone, which is a strong insecticide, toxic to fish, it has also been linked to Parkinson's disease. All derris based products have been withdrawn from sale in the UK from October 2009) and chemical alternatives aren't available.
- Once forced bulbs have finished flowering, plant them out into the garden.
- Remove any wayward growing raspberry shoots. They will just crowd the fruiting canes.
- Stake and tie perennials to prevent them being broken by wind and rain. Remove fading delphinium flowers to encourage a second flowering.
- Paint shading on the greenhouse glass, or use shading to lessen the scorching effect of the sun and to keep temperatures lower.
- Check the ties on climbers, flower stems and standard roses - the tops of plants can get very heavy when in full bloom or when wet.
- Pinch out the growing tips of annuals and some perennials to create a stockier plant and to encourage more flowers More information here.
- Sow hardy annuals in their flowering positions to fill any gaps in the border.
- Check gooseberries for sawfly. Prune this year's growth back to 4-5 leaves (this shouldn't affect fruit as they appear on old wood).
- Pots, planters and hanging baskets can be planted up now, although keep them covered at night until all chance of frost has passed. See the hanging basket project for further information.
- Some perennials appreciate a late May prune, known as the Chelsea Chop (as it's done around the same time as the famous flower show) encouraging stronger and stockier plants often with an extended flowering period. Cut stems back by a third or a half. Plants that benefit include penstemon, hardy chrysanthemums, tall sedums, helenium and echinacea.
- Earth up the first early potatoes that were planted in March, to stop the tubers being exposed to light, turning green.
- Cut runners from strawberries (unless trying to propagate more plants). Runners will divert energy away from crop production.
- Remove spring bedding plants and lift and store spring flowering bulbs (with the exception of snowdrops).
- Prune helichrysum and artemisias shrubs to encourage bushy plants.
- Clean the leaves of smooth leaved house plants. Wipe large leaves such as those found on rubber plants, swiss cheese plants and umberella plants, with a damp cloth. Smaller leaved plants can be dipped in a bowl of clean water. Do not attempt to wash the leaves of 'hairy' leaved plants such as African violets, use a soft brush such as a paint brush or a used toothbrush.
- Support herbaceous border plants with canes, where they will be needed in late summer. It's easier to do this now while the plants are still small, this also reduces the risk of damaging the roots later in the season.
- Prune plum trees, paint fresh cuts with Arbrex to prevent infection.
- May is an ideal time to create ponds / pools. Click here to see the pond project page.
- Spray roses with 'Rose Clear' to kill aphids and protect from blackspot.
- Trim hedges to encourage the branches to thicken up and to keep them neat and tidy.
- Take soft wood cuttings from thyme. Thyme cuttings take easily, so they can be stuck in the soil or in pots. Remember that thyme likes full sun and hates to be grown in the shade.
- Plant out greenhouse grown runner beans or sow them at the base of wigwams 5cm (2in) deep. Keep well watered.
- Fuchias flower from the ends of their branches, nipping out the growing tip will encourage more shoots, creating a bushier plant with more flowers.
- Replant dahlia tubers that have been lifted and stored for the winter. Put a stake in now to save damaging the plant and roots once it has started growing.
- Propagate marginal pond plants. Take short cuttings, remove lower leaves and push stems into pots of mud. Keep top of the pots just under the surface of the water.
- Lots of tender plants can be grown outside in containers between May and September as long as the pot is big enough and they get enough water and the occasional feed.
- If becoming boisterous, prune spring-flowering clematis including alpina and macropetala after flowering. Use cuttings to propagate new plants.
- The adult vine weevil, the number one garden pest, will be emerging from the soil as the temperatures rise.
- Control weeds in lawns with a selective weedkiller. Don't cut the grass for at least a week after applying. Don't put these grass cuttings on the compost heap.
- Protect plants from slugs and snails with slug pellets, course grit or traps. Alternatively try to encourage birds, hedgehogs and frogs to your garden - all prey on slugs and snails. More suggestions to reduce slug and snail damage.
- Regularly water trees and shrubs that were planted last autumn and winter. Their roots won't have had a chance to fully develop yet.
- Thin out seedlings, leaving the strongest growing plants. Water the soil gently beforehand to reduce soil disturbance.
- Cut grass weekly, long grass takes more nutrients out of the soil. It is also harder to cut and may leave yellow patches in the lawn.
- Apply a weed and feed to established lawns. Water in with a hose after a few days if it hasn't rained.
- As daffodils fade, remove the flower heads. Don't cut back the leaves - leave them to die back naturally. However if you want to tidy them up, wait until the leaves have yellowed before removing.
- Feed established roses, fortnightly, with a rose fertilizer, dead-head regularly and check for aphids and black spot.
- Plant maincrop potatoes in prepared ground or potato growbags.
- Now is the best time to plant lavender. Widely grown for its scent and foliage, lavender is ideal for borders or a low hedge. Available in shades of purple, blue, white and pink it is a magnet for bees and butterflies
- Lift, divide and replant chives.
- Remove the dead heads of spring flowering bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, before they have a chance to produce seed. This will encourage the plant to store energy in the bulb rather than wasting it on seed production.
- Postion plant supports where they will be needed in late summer. Doing this now reduces the risk of damaging the roots later in the season.
- If your lawn is more moss than grass, then treat with a lawn moss killer. Bare in mind that the moss will turn black within a couple of days, so don't be too alarmed. A couple of weeks after application, if you are left with bare patches in your lawn, mix equal quantities of grass seed and seived compost and scatter over the patches, cover areas with fine netting or twigs gently pushed into the soil, to protect from birds and animals. Combination lawn feed and moss killer is available, but feeding your lawn when it's not necessary will encourage it to grow quicker and therefore need to be cut more regularly.
- Sow vegetable seeds (courgette, marrow, runner and French beans) in the vegetable patch and salad seeds (lettuce, spring onion and radish) little and often to provide a staggered harvest through the summer.
- As summer-flowering herbaceous perennials start to come back to life, lift and divide overgrown plants.
- Scatter growmore granules under fruit trees and bushes, especially apple, pear and plum trees. If it doesn't rain for a couple of days, water the granules in with a hose or watering can. Growmore is a slow release, general fertiliser, it includes the three main plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphates and potassium).
- Begin regular cutting of your lawn. If the grass is long increase the height adjustment of the mower to the highest setting. Once this first cut has been done, lower the blades/deck and go back over the lawn.
- Your pond may have started to turn green and cloudy. This is due to a rapid increase in algae, which flourish in the warmer spring temperatures. Once the pond plants start to grow again, especially the oxygenating plants, these will use up the nutrients and create shade, reducing the amount of algae. To speed up the clearing of the water, drop a small string bag/pair of old tights stuffed with barley straw, into the pond. Weigh the straw down, so that it floats just below the surface of the water.
As the straw breaks down, it produces hydrogen peroxide, which reduces and inhibits the growth of algae and blanket weed. If the algae is particularly bad, barley straw extract can be bought in liquid form and added to the pond water (follow the instructions on the bottle, but as a guide before purchasing,125ml treats approximately 4,500 litres/1,000 gallons, but multiple, fortnightly treatments through the year may be necessary). If you have a fountain or waterfall, try to position the barley straw underneath this. Remove and replace the barley with new straw after about six months, before it completely rots down, polluting the water.
The small, pre-filled barley straw bags to add to your pond, cost about £2 each, but you can buy a 17 litre pack, which will last a few years for about £10 from your local pet shop or Amazon here: Supreme Petfoods Tiny Friends Farm Russell & Gerty Barley Straw, 17 Litres
- Weed and spread compost from the compost bin over the borders and vegetable patch. This adds valuable nutrients to the soil and acts as a mulch, to retain moisture and reduce weed growth. Ensure that the soil is moist before adding mulch.
- Transplant any self-set aquilegia, lupins and hollyhocks to new locations.
- As it's starting to warm up, it's a good time to lay a new lawn, although the best time is in Autumn or late winter, as it's damper and cooler, allowing the turf to bed in without you having to worry too much about regular watering. See here: laying a new lawn for further information.
- Remove algae and moss from patios and paths with a pressure washer or proprietary patio and path cleaner (traditionally a tar oil winter wash could have been used, but these are no longer available, particualrly to the amateur gardener, as they were found to be carcinogenic).
- Prune apple and pear trees and remove any "suckers". Cut these off as close to the trunk as possible.
- Prune fruit trees, rose bushes and wisteria.
- Raspberries: Remove older canes that carried fruit last year but keep one year old canes that will carry this year's crop.
- Why not make a New Year's resolution to tidy the garden. There's no time like the present.
Recent articles:
- YouTube: Propagating snowdrops (Galanthus) by bulb division
- How to lay a new lawn
- Sowing seeds
- Creating a compost heap
- UKGardening YouTube Channel
- Removing large branches
- Updated photo gallery
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