I often get the feeling that all we gardeners do is talk, or more importantly complain, about the weather, whether it be too warm, too wet, too cold or too dry. It is of course an essential part of our ability to garden, no one likes the thought of mowing the lawn in the rain. My recent discussions with others have been all about the “saints de glace“. In case you were not aware, in local agricultural folklore nothing tender should be planted out unprotected until after the days of the “saints de glace” have passed. These ice saints, SaintMamertus, Saint Pancras and Saint Servatius, celebrate their feast days on 11, 12 and 13 May each year. Until these days have passed there is still the possibility of night frost. I think this year they are dragging their heels as we’ve had some very chilly nights recently. With my garden hovering around +7c as a high one day last week, I’m very glad to be behind with my tomato planting. Do keep an eye on the overnight temperatures and if it looks like it might be very cold and your garden is very exposed, throw some garden fleece over those tender shoots.

May is when we can appreciate the exuberance of spring before the heat of summer arrives, a wonderful time. I’ve been enjoying my perennial border, delighting in the appearance of plants I’d forgotten about and marvelling in the insect activity from early morning to late in the day. Bumble bees and honey bees buzzing away – a wonderful sound. Encouraging pollinators into the garden is something we should all be concerned about. By continuing to plant nectar and pollen-rich flowers we can help improve their numbers. The RHS has an extensive list on its website; divided into seasons each sub-list is alphabetical with a key to help identify the plant (i.e., T = tree, C= climber, A= annual etc.). They also have a top ten list for the more impatient gardener. Something to remember is that the more open the flower the easier it is for the insect to reach the pollen or nectar, so when faced with a choice between a simple flower or a multi-petalled flower where the centre is almost invisible, choose the simple one.