MONTHLY GARDENING TIPS
Here’s what to do, what’s in bloom, and lots of tips and tricks for every month of the year! Check back each month to find new, seasonal tips for ornamental gardening, lawn care, edible gardening, and indoor plant care in the Pacific Northwest!
May Gardening Tips for the PNW
In the Garden
Add continuous color to the garden and containers with annual flowers such as geraniums, lobelia, bacopa, petunias, calibrachoa, and begonias. Wondering which other flowers we recommend in May? See our new blog post: Our Favorite Flowers for May.
Want to know which flowers attract pollinators? Peruse our Pollinator & Wildlife Garden Resource Page, a collection of planting guides and blog posts that will help you bring these pollinators to your garden.
Dahlia bulbs can be planted in the garden or into containers now. Insert support stakes at planting time to keep from spearing the tubers by staking after growth has started.
Peonies can be transplanted now or in the fall. If you have a new plant, either transplant it right away or leave it in its pot until fall (you can sink the whole pot into the ground where you will eventually plant the peony if you’d like). Learn more about Peony Planting and Care in the PNW.
If needed, prune spring-flowering shrubs, like rhododendrons and lilacs, just after they have bloomed. Learn more about Pruning Rhododendrons and Pruning Lilacs.
Edible Gardening
New to vegetable gardening? There’s still plenty of time to plant fruits, herbs, and vegetables. Learn more about Starting a Vegetable Garden.
We have a great selection of tomatoes in stock! Decide which variety is best for you by reading our blog post: The Best Tomatoes to Grow in the PNW. Once you’ve chosen your tomatoes, learn our tips on How to Plant a Tomato.
Most vegetables can be safely planted outside in May but tomatoes and other tender vegetables like squash and beans may still need protection from cold nights. Learn How to Protect Your Tomatoes and Other Warm Season Vegetables.
Now is the time to start a regular, deep-watering routine. We recommend using drip irrigation or soaker hoses to deeply saturate the soil without wetting the leaves of vegetables, which can help prevent diseases.
Lawn Care
You can aerate, topdress, and over-seed your lawn in May and June. Remember to keep it well-watered during these activities! See our Step-by-Step Lawn Renovation for more detailed information.
Deal with those dandelions now, before they spread their seeds! Spot spray or pull them, and be sure to remove as much of the taproot as possible. See more: How to Get Rid of Dandelions.
Make sure your lawn looks its best by following the tips on our Spring Lawn Care blog post.
If it's growing, you can mow it! Set your mower to medium height to avoid cutting off more than 30% at a time. Remember, the height of the grass generally equals the depth of the roots, so keeping grass a little longer helps build a strong support system.
Indoor plants
In spring, most houseplants begin to grow more actively. Apply a fertilizer formulated specifically for indoor plants throughout the growing season. Be sure to follow the directions on the product label for best results. See more spring care tips in our blog post, Spring: Your Houseplant’s Favorite Time of Year.
Spring and summer are also a great time to repot any houseplants that may be rootbound or need a soil refresher. Learn How to Repot a Plant.
If you plan to bring some of your houseplants outdoors for the summer, be sure to slowly acclimate them to their new environment. Start by bringing them out to a shady spot for a few hours during the day. Slowly increase the amount of sunlight and length of time outdoors until they can stay outside all the time.
Want to add a few new indoor plants to your home? Check out our guide to Choosing Your Next Indoor Plant.