Hello from all of us here at Hilltop Garden Centre! We’re so excited to welcome you into May – one of the most beautiful months of the year for gardeners. The days are getting longer, warmer, and your garden is (literally) bursting with possibilities. World Gardening Week takes place from 1st to 7th May, so there’s no better time to reconnect with nature by rolling your sleeves up for a garden refresh! Whether you’re looking to attract pollinators, grow your own veg, or simply create a beautiful space to relax, we’re here to help at Hilltop – your friendly, family-run garden centre in Clacton. Let’s dig in (pardon the pun) to some gardening tips and jobs that you can do in May!
Plant for pollinators this May
May is buzzing with life – quite literally! With World Bee Day on 20th May, now is the perfect time to think about planting for our precious pollinators.
Bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects are vital for our gardens and the environment, so it’s important we give them a helping hand. Here at Hilltop, we have a beautiful range of pollinator-friendly plants perfect for your borders, containers, or wildflower areas.
English and French Lavender are a must – not only are they our Plant of the Month for May, but their highly scented flowers are absolute magnets for bees! Plus, they add a stunning splash of colour and fragrance to your garden. Plant them using a good quality compost (we recommend planting with Rocket Gro Tree & Shrub Compost for the best results) in a sunny spot (Lavender LOVES the sun), and feeding with Rocket Gro Rose and Shrub Plant food.
Other great choices for pollinators include:
- Salvia
- Foxgloves
- Verbena bonariensis
- Alliums
- Buddleia (the butterfly bush)
- Cosmos
- Geums
- Salvia ‘Lips’ Series
- Astilbe (especially attractive for butterflies).
When planting, choose a sunny spot and use a good quality compost like Rocket Gro Peat-Free Compost (available in-store) to give your plants the best start. Let's make our gardens a haven for pollinators!
Bring instant colour with bedding plants
Adding bedding plants (annuals) to your garden in May is a wonderful way to bring instant colour to your outdoor spaces! Whether you’re filling hanging baskets, sprucing up containers, or brightening up your borders, bedding plants offer vibrant, quick results and they're so easy to plant. Here at Hilltop, we’re proud to grow many of our own basket and container plants on-site, so you’re getting healthy, homegrown plants that are already thriving in local conditions.
We also source much of our bedding range from trusted local growers, which not only supports our community but also ensures your plants haven’t travelled far and are perfectly suited to Essex gardens. Look out for cheerful marigolds, petunias, begonias and more – just remember to keep them protected from late frosts and water them regularly, especially once the weather warms up. Plant them in Rocket Gro Container Compost for strong root growth and long-lasting blooms!
Grow your own veg and tomatoes
There’s nothing more satisfying than growing your own fresh, tasty vegetables. And May is the perfect time to get started if you haven’t already!
We’re thrilled to have a fantastic new addition in-store: Rocket Gro Tomato and Vegetable Planters. These large, peat-free, organic planters are perfect for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, salads, and more.
We also have a wide selection of tomato plants available, including customer favourites like:
- Tumbling Tom (great for hanging baskets)
- Tumbler
- Moneymaker
- Shirley
And don’t forget to feed your tomatoes with Tomorite Tomato Feed – it’s packed with nutrients and a splash of seaweed extract. Tomorite isn't just for tomatoes either; it’s brilliant for anything you want to encourage to flower or fruit, like cucumbers, strawberries, and even flowering baskets - try it and you'll soon see the incredible difference it makes to your plants.
Pop into our garden centre in Essex and let us help you get growing!
Plant up hanging baskets
May is the ideal month to get started on making your own hanging baskets. Whether you want a classic look with trailing lobelia and petunias or something more bold and colourful, we have everything you need right here at Hilltop. Our basket and container plants are mostly grown in-house and our bedding plants are sourced locally, so purchasing from us is a great way to reduce your environmental footprint, while getting great quality plants.
Here’s our quick guide to making a stunning hanging basket:
- Choose your basket: Wire baskets lined with moss look lovely and traditional, but plastic or coir-lined options are great too if that's what you have on-hand.
- Add compost: We recommend Rocket Gro Peat-Free Container & Basket Compost (£6.99 a bag or 2 for £12 this month), which is perfect for baskets and containers. Mix in some slow-release fertiliser to feed your plants all summer.
- Plant your centrepiece: Start with a taller plant in the centre if you want height (like a geranium), then add trailing plants around the edges (like lobelia, trailing verbena, or bacopa).
- Water well: After planting, give your basket a good soak and keep it watered every day, and more often during really hot weather.
Need a little extra help? Just ask – we’re always happy to give advice or show you some of the ready-made baskets we’ve put together for inspiration. Of course, if you'd prefer to purchase your baskets already made up, our team have been super busy over the last month planting them up and we have a wonderful selection to choose from.
Plant scented Dianthus for its beautiful fragrance
We absolutely love Dianthus, also known as garden pinks, and May is the perfect time to plant them. These gorgeous, low-maintenance perennials are known for their incredible scent – think sweet, spicy, clove-like perfume wafting across your garden. Sounds amazing, right?
Where to plant Dianthus:
- Borders near patios or pathways (so you can enjoy the scent as you walk past)
- Rock gardens
- Raised beds
- Containers and window boxes
Choose a sunny, well-drained spot and use a good quality compost (we love Rocket Gro Herb & Alpine Compost for planting Dianthus). Deadhead the faded blooms to keep them flowering right through the summer months. If you're a member of our Rewards Club you can pick up a Dianthus for free when you spend £10 or more in-store this month. Sign up here if you'd like to join - it's free!
May is the month to plant, plant, plant!
The advice from our expert team this month really is ‘get it in the ground’. There’s so much you can plant right now to make your garden look amazing this summer:
- Perennials like Delphiniums, Lupins, Aquilegia, and Foxgloves (all perfect for cottage gardens and wildlife)
- Patio plants such as Marigolds, Sweet Williams, and Fuchsias (but do remember – May can still throw a late frost our way, so keep an eye on the weather and protect tender plants if needed!)
- Summer bulbs like Gladiolus and Lilies for a spectacular show later on.
Use fresh compost, add some fertiliser, and give everything a good water-in. Your garden will thank you for it!
Final May gardening tips
- Weeding: Stay on top of weeds before they get out of control – a little weeding often, is easier than a lot of weeding later!
- Lawn care: Give your lawn a feed this month to encourage healthy growth and a rich green colour.
- Mulching: Apply mulch around shrubs and roses to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
- Pest watch: Keep an eye out for aphids, slugs, and snails – especially on your young veg plants.
Our family-run garden centre in Clacton has been serving the local community for over 75 years and we believe gardening is more than a hobby – it’s a way of life. So whether you’re popping in for advice, plants, or a meal in our garden centre restaurant with friends or family, we’re always happy to see you. Thanks for reading our gardening guide for May – we can’t wait to see you soon at Hilltop, your friendly local Essex garden centre.
Happy gardening from all of us at Hilltop Garden Centre!
