No mow May, ‘the Chelsea chop' & pruning rules – pro gardener reveals 5 jobs you must do now, that only take 5 minutes

Scottish Sun

14-05-2025

Plus the eight plants to brighten up your garden
RULE OF LAWN No mow May, 'the Chelsea chop' & pruning rules – pro gardener reveals 5 jobs you must do now, that only take 5 minutes
WITH summer just around the corner, it's time to tend to our gardens.
Fortunately, a gardening pro has shared everything you can do this month to get it looking amazing in just five minutes.
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The garden whizz shared five jobs to get done this month
Credit: Getty
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She also urged listeners not to mow their garden this month
Credit: Getty
Landscape design guru Pollyanna Wilkinson of Pollyanna Wilkinson Garden Design and co-host of the Ins & Outs Podcast, shared the jobs to get done this month.
Speaking with her co-presenter Jojo Barr, an interior design expert, she said: "May, I like to think of it as gardening Christmas.
"It's a really, really busy time, there's so much to do."
But instead of getting overwhelmed with gardening jobs, Pollyanna recommended spending just five minutes a day on the task rather than trying to get it all done at once.
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She said that for those living in the UK, there are five jobs you need to get done this month.
Now the frost is gone, she recommends planting some Dahlias now to have them blooming in summer.
The gardening pro also said now was the perfect time for the 'Chelsea chop.'
She explained: "Certain plants really like this... It's basically when you cut them down by half."
This is to prevent the plants from becoming too big and unruly and will delay their bloom to flower later.
She also recommended planting seedlings outside now as the weather was just right for them to grow.
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For those who like to grow Alliums, the gardening whizz had an extra tip to make them look better.
The leaves often go yellow before they bloom, so Pollyanna recommended pruning them back as soon as they've gone yellow, as it won't affect the flower blossoming.
She also urged avid gardeners to not mow their lawn this month.
While you may feel the urge to cut it back, she said it was vital to keep pollinators such as bees thriving through the summer months.
8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden
Nick Hamilton owner of Barnsdale Gardens has shared his favourite plants and flowers you should consider adding to your garden, borders and pots.
Tricyrtis
A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is 'as tough as old boots!'.
Penstemon
I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They'll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes.
Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata'
With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it's great asset is that it
will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill - dry shade.
Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue'
A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your
garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant's interest period.
Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem'
If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers.
Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange'
A dwarf version of 'Midwinter Fire' the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days.
Rosa 'Noisette Carnee'
A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, 'noisette' flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November.
Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel'
I've never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade.
Not only does it help them, it also helps your garden thrive.
You can get back to mowing the lawn in June or July and know you've done your bit for the environment.
And if you want to continue helping the bees, you can leave them a treat in the garden.
Using an empty shallow pot, fill it up with one part sugar and one part water to give bees an energy boost.
Bees can get tired if they aren't feeding off nectar and the sugar can give them enough energy to fly and find new flowers for pollen.