Essential Tips for Gardening in May

May is when British gardens truly come into their own. The days are longer, the risk of frost has passed, and trees, shrubs, and hedging are all bursting with life. Whether you’re nurturing what you planted earlier in the season or adding new colour and structure, this is one of the most satisfying months to get stuck in.

In the UK gardening calendar, May is a time for container displays, vertical planting, and refreshing herb gardens. It's also the perfect moment to start sowing wildflowers, manage water wisely, and maintain spring-flowering bulbs for next year. Every job you do now helps your outdoor space thrive all summer long.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the top May gardening jobs, with expert tips on how to support your trees, hedging, and pollinator-friendly plants through the changing season. Let’s dig into the tasks that will bring colour, life, and structure to your garden this May.

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Planting for May

With spring in full swing, May is a great time to support trees and shrubs with thoughtful planting and smart design choices — especially if you're working with limited space. From potted shrubs to sky-reaching climbers, now’s the moment to create structure and colour that lasts well into summer.

Add Structure with Container-Grown Shrubs

For patios, balconies, or borders that need a seasonal boost, container-friendly shrubs offer long-lasting impact without taking up too much room. Compact and colourful varieties such as Weigela 'Pico Bella Rosa', with its deep green foliage and vibrant pink blooms, or Physocarpus opulifolius 'Lady in Red', known for its rich red leaves and striking texture, are ideal for adding interest in smaller spaces.

Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Arundel Green' is another excellent choice — a glossy evergreen with compact growth, perfect for adding year-round structure to raised beds or decorative pots. For bolder foliage contrast, try Physocarpus opulifolius 'Midnight', which delivers deep purple leaves that shine against lighter companion plants.

Grouping two or three container shrubs together can create a dynamic, layered look — ideal for framing entrances, enhancing patio corners, or adding seasonal interest to urban spaces.

Add Herbs for Instant Colour and Flavour

May is the perfect time to start growing herbs that thrive in warmer weather. Parsley, sweet marjoram, and basil are all excellent choices for planting now, offering both ornamental value and culinary rewards.

Herbs grow especially well in containers, raised beds, or sunny borders. Choose a sheltered, well-drained spot and water regularly during dry spells. Container-grown herbs are ideal for patios and kitchen doorways — easy to access, and full of fragrance.

Want to keep things simple? Try our Italian Herb Kitchen Grow Kit — it includes everything you need to get started with classic Mediterranean herbs.

Whether you’re after a burst of green for your borders or a fresh supply of flavour for summer meals, herbs are an easy and rewarding addition to your May garden.

Climbing Plants and Vertical Gardening

If you’re looking to bring height, texture, and movement into your garden, climbing plants are a brilliant solution — and May is the perfect time to get them established. Whether you're training them over fences, trellises, or pergolas, climbers can transform bare structures into lush, living features. Jasminum officinale (Common Jasmine) is a beautiful choice with highly fragrant white flowers that bloom throughout summer. Its twining stems make it ideal for adding scent and softness to entrances, archways, and pergolas.

For a bold pop of colour, try Clematis patens 'Rouge Cardinal' — a striking deep red-flowered clematis that blooms from midsummer into autumn. It’s perfect for trellises, obelisks, or even scrambling through shrubs for a natural look.

For a golden touch, Jasminum nudiflorum (Winter Jasmine) brings sunny yellow flowers and a slightly arching habit that can be trained upwards or allowed to cascade over low walls.

Support young plants with soft ties and gently guide early shoots to ensure they climb confidently in the right direction. With just a bit of structure, these climbers will quickly become a standout feature in any garden.

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Cultivating a Wildlife-Friendly Garden

May is the ideal time to enhance your garden’s appeal to pollinators, birds, and other beneficial wildlife. With flowers blooming and birds in the midst of nesting season, even small changes can make a big impact.

Plant for Pollinators

Creating a haven for pollinators starts with planting the right things at the right time. In May, sowing wildflower seeds in borders, meadows, or pots will provide bees, butterflies, and other insects with essential nectar sources throughout summer. Simply clear a patch of grass or soil, scatter your chosen seed mix, and water regularly until established.

You can also support pollinators in a longer-term way by planting ornamental blossom trees. Compact varieties such as Malus (Crab Apple) and Amelanchier offer spring flowers, autumn colour, and seasonal structure — all while feeding early pollinators when little else is in bloom.

Provide Water and Shelter

Wildlife also needs shelter and water. Add a shallow dish or install a small wildlife-friendly pond to offer drinking and bathing spots for birds and insects. Use dense shrubs or climbing plants like honeysuckle and clematis to provide safe cover and nesting opportunities.

You can even leave a small area of the garden untidy — with longer grass, stacked logs, or a brush pile — to create habitats for insects, hedgehogs, and ground-nesting birds.

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Late Spring Planting

If you didn’t get to your tree planting earlier in the season, May is still an excellent time to plant container-grown ornamental trees. The soil is warm, rainfall is still fairly regular, and new trees have plenty of time to establish before summer heat kicks in. Here are some standout choices for late spring interest:

Hawthorn

Crataegus x media ‘Punicea’ (Fuchsia Pink) a standout hawthorn produces masses of vivid double pink blossoms in May, forming a striking canopy loved by pollinators. It’s a great choice for gardeners wanting colour, wildlife value, and year-round structure.

Flowering Cherry

Prunus 'Fragrant Cloud' (Shizuka) is a Japanese flowering cherry with large, highly scented white blossoms in late spring. It adds beauty and fragrance to patios and lawns, especially in smaller garden spaces.

Crab Apple

Malus transitoria ‘Golden Raindrops’ has delicate white blossom in late spring, followed by small golden fruits that brighten the tree well into autumn. A graceful, airy tree with year-round appeal.

Rowan

Sorbus 'Autumn Spire' with its upright form and late spring flowers, makes this columnar rowan is perfect for tighter spaces. It also provides long-lasting interest with autumn foliage and clusters of berries that birds will love.

Magnolia

Magnolia x brooklynensis 'Yellow Bird' is a late-spring flowering magnolia dazzles with bold yellow blooms and a strong upright shape. It’s perfect as a focal point or to add something unexpected to your planting scheme.

Beech

Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea Pendula’ doesn’t flower for show, this ornamental tree shines in late spring with fresh coppery-red foliage that matures to deep purple. Great for structure, contrast, and long-term impact.

Planting for Lasting Impact

Late spring is a perfect moment to shape your garden’s structure for the seasons ahead. By planting ornamental trees now, you’ll enjoy fresh foliage and form through summer, followed by autumn colour, berries, and wildlife interest later in the year. Whether you’re refreshing a border or creating a new focal point, May planting helps set your space up for year-round beauty and balance.

Container Tree Planting Tips

If you're working with pots or smaller areas, container planting offers flexibility and impact. Choose a large, well-draining container filled with peat-free, soil-based compost, and raise it slightly off the ground to encourage airflow. Add a slow-release fertiliser to support healthy root development and apply mulch to retain moisture as the weather warms.

Compact ornamental trees like crab apples, rowans, or flowering cherries can thrive in pots with the right care — just remember to water consistently and give them a sunny, sheltered spot to grow.

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Managing Garden Maintenance

Water-Saving Strategies

With summer on the horizon, May is an excellent time to improve your garden’s water resilience. Set up rainwater harvesting systems such as water butts or natural collection points to reduce reliance on mains water. This not only helps during dry spells but also supports sustainable gardening practices.

Harvested rainwater is ideal for containers, beds, and borders — and using it helps conserve energy and resources tied to water treatment and supply. It’s a small step that makes a big impact, especially in times of drought and water scarcity.

Inspect and Support New Growth

Fast-growing shrubs, climbers, and perennials may need extra support in May. Add plant supports, canes, or obelisks early to prevent stems from flopping or snapping—especially in exposed or windy spots. Tie in climbers like honeysuckle and clematis to keep growth controlled and heading in the right direction. For detailed advice on training climbing plants: Tips for Training Climbing Plants.

Manage Faded Spring Displays

As tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs fade, you can begin to deadhead spent blooms to keep beds looking tidy. Allow the leaves to die back naturally—this helps bulbs store energy for next year’s display. You can also lift and divide overcrowded clumps of bulbs or early perennials after flowering to improve next year’s performance. For detailed advice on lifting and dividing spring bulbs: Spring Bulbs to Lift and Divide

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Your May Gardening Round-Up

May is the gateway to summer — a month of rapid growth, vibrant colour, and longer days that invite you into the garden. It’s the perfect time to focus on planting container-friendly shrubs and ornamental trees, supporting wildlife, and making smart choices like vertical gardening and water-saving strategies.

Success in the garden this month comes from strategic planting and simple seasonal care. Whether you’re adding height with climbers, refreshing your borders with bold foliage, or planting pollinator-friendly trees, May is all about setting the scene for a thriving, colourful summer garden.

By keeping up with seasonal tasks like watering wisely, tying in climbers, mulching pots, and planting trees with late-spring interest, you’ll enjoy a garden that offers structure, blooms, and biodiversity for months to come.

If you’d like more seasonal advice, updates, and gardening inspiration, sign up to our newsletter and be the first to hear about planting tips and new arrivals. Here’s to a green and glorious May!

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FAQs

What are the best ornamental trees to plant in May?

May is a great time to plant container-grown trees like Crataegus x media ‘Punicea’ (Fuchsia Pink Hawthorn) and Malus transitoria ‘Golden Raindrops’. These trees offer late-spring flowers and provide interest throughout the year while establishing well before summer.

Which trees are good for pollinators in late spring?

How do I care for a newly planted tree in a container?

How can I make my garden more wildlife-friendly in May?

Is May too late to plant trees?