Bulbs come first on the southern gardener’s agenda for May. Those bulbs which are definitely finished blooming and have ripened foliage should be dug and replanted now, if they are crowded. Seeds of summer and fall plants can be sown directly over them. Narcissus, scillas and muscari can all be separated this month. Do not cut off green leaves for there will be no bloom next year if you do.
Lycoris radiata has fine foliage now but in a short time it will disappear and there will be no way of telling where the plants are. So lift, separate and replant them now, if they need it. This is also the season to move summer lilies.
Time To Divide
Many perennials should be divided each year. This is true of shasta daisies and chrysanthemums, as well as the evergreen candytuft, Iberis sempervirens, and the perennial varieties of creeping phlox. Seedlings of such plants as foxglove and other perennials, as well as the annual verbenas and petunias which were started in March in flats, should be set out. Gerberas and many pinks and carnations may also have a place in your garden, depending upon its size:
Dahlias should be planted between May 15 and June 1. Order tubers early, selecting some of the Iow-growing and dwarf types as well as the exhibition dahlias. The same advice goes for chrysanthemums.
Spray Roses To Control Aphids
Spray roses and azaleas now, chrysanthemums later, with malathion to control aphids. Mix as per the label, add a little soap as an adjuvant. Spray roses with an all-purpose mixture in addition.
Roses should be cut regularly and often. Never allow dead flowers to remain on the plants. Hardy climbers, the large-flowered and clustered varieties will bloom freely again. Remove only dead wood from the plants themselves.
Boxood, Buxus sempervirens, is apt to be infested with aphids in spring. Avoid this trouble by giving them a good dose of a malathion spray. Watch the boxwood cuttings you made in February; don’t let them dry out.
Plant Seed For Summer & Fall Bloom
Seeds for summer and fall bloom can be sown now where plants are to flower. Zinnias of many kinds and colors are worthy of room in the garden. The small pastel Lilliputs are good in the border and as cut flowers. Try them with the larger kinds. Giant Dahlia Flowered zinnias come in a wonderful range of Color. Just be mindful of the garden color scheme when you sow the seeds.
Marigolds come only in the golden shades and should not be used with rose, pink or red flowers. Instead, place them with hemerocallis or daylilies and flowers with violet, lavender, heliotrope and blue tones.
Iris kaempheri, the Japanese iris, are at their best in May. They flower in South Carolina from May 20 until June 15. Thousands of these beautiful flowers may be seen at Swan Lake Gardens in Sumter, South Carolina. On the iris border walk along a lake, the colors range from snowy white through shades of heliotrope to deep pure violet. There are also soft rose pinks and blues, which vie with azaleas and late camellias. Flocks of black and white swans delight the visitors who come from all over the United States and Canada to this great annual flower show.
by D Julia
