Kevin Sweet's May Gardening Blog

WELCOME TO MY MAY BLOG

The sun is out (again - hurrah!) and we have our hats on!
It's also National Gardening Week, (which is very exciting), so in addition to my May Gardening Blog I've written a blog about how I got to where I am today, CLICK HERE to read.

Over the past week or so, despite the interesting weather, we have managed to get most of our grass areas cut. Grass cutting is always a matter of timing as the ground can still be wet but with the rays of the sun, the grass will start putting on some serious growth! 
For my team it’s a very busy but also a very beautiful time of year as we plant up our hanging baskets and prepare large areas of summer bedding plants, amongst other activities. It is also the perfect time of year to see our amazing Rhododendron, one of the largest many guests have ever seen! It is located on the main lawn and is well worth a visit to admire! There are many photographs of this on our social media pages so if you cannot see this in person, please do take a look online.

I was in the walled garden the other day and noticed how many birds there are flying about, seemed to be a few more than usual, so I’ve put out a few bird feeders to see what we can attract (if you are into Ornithology I highly recommend a visit to Ashdown Park as we get such a variety of birds from song birds to birds of prey). 
Just before we reach plant of the month, regular readers, you may recall my new Bonsai collection which I have recently started. I am very pleased to report all the trees are doing well and I have my eye on a few new additions! 

Plant of the Month

Skimmia

At this time of year Skimmias are in full flower with clusters of tiny white flowers. During the winter their will be red berries glistening above the green oval leaves. To get the berries you will need to grow both male and female plants close together. Skimmia are evergreen and will grow to approx. 1.5m. 

They can also be grown in large containers and prefer partial shade. Most common varieties are Skimmia japonica and foremanii (female) and Rubella and fragrans (male). Not much pruning is required which makes them very easy to keep.

May Gardening Tips

1.    At this time of year do keep a look out for pests and diseases on your plants. Treat as required.
2.    Give a slow release feed to shrubs and herbaceous plants
3.    Trim topiary to tidy them up and feed
4.    Mow lawns at least once a week – this can be tricky with heavy rain.
5.    Keep plants well watered, especially those in containers

Happy Gardening All! 

Kevin Sweet
Estate Manager