This month…

MAY

May is named after the Greek goddess Maia, who was associated with growth and fertility.

In Anglo-Saxon culture, May was called Tri-Milchi, which meant that cows could be milked three times a day due to the lush grass.

May Day (1st) marks the end of winter, welcoming summer with traditions like dancing around a Maypole and crowning a May Queen.

May is wonderful: gorgeous blossoms and flowers everywhere, and it’s usually pleasantly ‘not too hot, nor too cold’, with the promise of summer ahead.

The whole natural world burgeons and blossoms and there is a slow and beautiful explosion of plant life. The soil is warming up and so anything planted in May will grow quickly and well.

But gardens react to weather conditions and grow accordingly. Humans, however, buy seed packets with dates printed on them and get all panicky when we miss out sowing our seeds by the right date. Potatoes are a good example, as it is said that first early potatoes should be in the ground by mid March. The truth of the matter is that you can still plant them in June!