Gardening Calendars

We all know gardening is seasonal but we still have to decide what to do and when?  

The Sunday Gardener's calendars are a month by month guide about what's going on in the garden, when to plant, when to prune, what to do and when. The Calendars are a seasonal guide because, as always the weather is the final arbitrator of what we can do in the garden. Recently our weather has become unpredictable, we have more extreme weather going from drought to flood in a short time frame. All of which make gardening more tricky. The seed packets may suggest a specific planting time, but it all depends on is happening on the ground, and where in the country you are gardening.

Spring comes very early in Cornwall and the West country, and much later in the North of England and Scotland which changes gardening in the different areas.

The aspect of your garden can also affect your gardening.  Very few gardeners have the luxury of a walled garden, seen mainly in Stately home gardens, and which affords great protection to everything growing in the garden. Wind can be very destructive especially in early spring when it is chilly, and a south facing garden will fill with more warmth from the sun. You will know the lay of your own garden but the weather remains unpredictable. Whatever it says on the packet, TV or in magazines,  when gardening it's what it feels like outside that matters. Plant out summer bedding at the wrong time in May, maybe when it's turned cold and damp, and the plants can sulk for weeks. One year it hailed immediately after I planted out the summer bedding and it took weeks to recover.  Gardening Calendars are only ever a guide. 

There are pages of gardening tips explaining everything from when to plant out bedding plants, money-saving ideas to what are annual and perennial plants.

There are also helpful tips for new gardeners, sustainable gardening and gardening for wildlife.

Irrespective of the weather or seasons, it is important to know which plants and vegetables are "frost hardy" and which are not. For an explanation about "hardy" follow the link. The gardening veg pages give detailed advice about growing vegetables and as May is a busy month in the veg plot the gardening calendar for May has detailed advice when to plant and which vegetables are hardy. Just like plants, not all vegetables are hardy and plant out too soon, and the frost can cause damage young plants.

In our gardens we like to grow a mix of plants and shrubs check out all about shrubs for gardening ideas, and for those difficult place in the garden, plants for shade have ideas for easy to grow shade plants.

I love gardening with climbing plants and they are not all hard work such as clematis, check out Climbing plants for ideas on easy to grow showy climbing plants such as Passion flowers.