Spring Gardening Guide

Spring gardening is a wonderful way to enjoy being outside. It is relaxing, challenging and fun, all at the same time. It doesn’t matter if you have a small outdoor area or a larger outdoor area, you can always make use of the space you have to grow plants this spring.

Gardening is great for many reasons; it helps you exercise, it is good for mental wellbeing, it promotes healthy eating and plant based foods and it helps the environment. So here is a hassle-free spring gardening guide for you!

Spring Gardening Ideas

1. Use native plants

One of our favourite spring gardening ideas is to grow native plants in your garden. They are fantastic because they have evolved to support our ecological systems including butterflies, bees and birds. They are very pretty (so will give your garden a nice perk,) and they are lower maintenance and use less water because they are growing where they are supposed to, which means that people will use artificial pesticides and plant foods less. Native wildflowers to plant in May include oxeye daisy, corn cockle, corn marigold, betony and hemp agrimony. If you keep animals, make sure to check which plants are safe to grow in your garden.

2. Grow bee friendly plants

The wildflowers that we suggested are great for wildlife such as bees and butterflies. There is an abundance of plants you can grow which bees will absolutely love. Make sure to choose single open flowers where you can see the middle of the flower, this makes it easy for bees to gain access to nectar and pollen. If purple is one of your favourite colours, then you are in luck because bees can see purple better than any other colour. They love purple plants such as lavender, buddlejas and catmint.

3. Use containers if you have a smaller space

If you have a small patio or balcony, containers are your friends for planting. They are also great for adding a pop of colour to your space. Some tips on container planting:

Be careful to not overfill your containers so the plants have room to grow
Make sure to use all purpose potting mix and not regular soil, as regular soil is too heavy and won’t drain as well in a container.

Plants in containers need regular watering and feeding. If you are going on holiday, it would be good to have someone to come round to water your plants.
Small shrubs, trees and perennials can be grown in containers but it depends on the species, to make sure to research beforehand. Spring bulbs are good to plant in containers as they can be replanted every year.

4. Repurpose materials to save money and help the environment

This ties into container planting. Some good, reliable container materials are terra cotta, concrete, wood and metal. You can use baskets, tin buckets, bird boxes, old casserole dishes, sacks etc - get creative! If you have a local allotment, you can get a lot of inspiration from what they do there. You might see wooden pallets being made into a compost bin or raised beds made from old floorboards. If you want to find some cheap materials, have a look on Facebook marketplace, freecycle or even recycling bins.

5. Plant in season fruit and vegetables

There are tons of advantages to growing your own food; it can help you save money, you will have an abundance of fresh food to eat without any artificial pesticides or fertilisers added, it will increase healthy eating as you will be consuming more fruit and veg and it is also better for the environment, as long-distance transportation of produce to supermarkets relies on fossil fuels. Gardening in Spring can also be such a fun hobby for you and the family. Children love it!

Fruit and Vegetables to Grow in May:

Our favourite fruit and vegetables to grow in May: 

• Beetroot

• Sweetcorn

• Sprouting broccoli

• Cucumber

• Carrots

• Courgettes

• Rocket

• Basil

• French and runner beans

• Radish

• Peas

• Strawberries

• Gooseberries

• Raspberries

6. Keep your garden clean and tidy

If you have a storage cupboard or shed where you keep your tools, pots, seeds and shovel, make sure to keep it organised so you know where everything is. It can also be a safety hazard if you have a messy shed, as you don’t want yourself or people you live with to fall over in there and hurt themselves.

• Get rid of items you don’t need to avoid clutter

• Sweep floors, wipe down walls and clean windows (you can use Spruce refillable cleaning products like our infamous Multipurpose Cleaning Kit)

• Get rid of cobwebs in corners

• Organise garden tools with hooks if you have a shed

• Install shelves for access

We hope these spring gardening ideas have given you some inspiration for your May gardening adventures. Gardening can be for anyone, whether you just want to grow herbs on your kitchen windowsill or grow some vegetables in some containers on your balcony. It's great for health, wellbeing and for the environment - what is not to love? Follow us on Instagram for more planet-loving tips.

Written by Zara Huxley