I know everyone’s been talking about it but I have never known a winter to persist as long as that of 2012/13. The plants now, though, are making up for lost time, and many are coming into bloom at once.

Here at Standen, the longer cold spell enabled us to carry on planting trees and shrubs later into the spring than we would normally have been able to.

If you have been planting, you will need to keep an eye on watering: when the weather is hot or windy, newly-planted specimens are often not able to supply enough water from their roots to keep the tops growing, leaves will desiccate and the plant may even die – so water well for this first year in all but the wettest conditions.

May is the time when gardens are at their most vibrant and verdant – almost every day there are new surprises and colours to appreciate. At Standen, we are enjoying late tulips, rhododendrons, camellias, viburnums and spirea, among many others. May is also the time when we sow some of the more tender seeds, such as pumpkins, squashes, sunflowers and runner beans, remembering to protect these from any late frosts.

Other jobs to be thinking about now: If you have planted potatoes, make sure you earth them up or add compost if they are in containers. Just cover the shoots, encouraging more tubers to form and ensuring these don’t turn green in the sunlight.

Keep on top of weeds – they can go to seed in just a few days at this time of year, causing months’ or years’ worth of extra weeding. If the weather is dry, hoeing is the most efficient way of doing this; aim to sever the plant tops from their roots, allowing them to die off on the soil surface.

Don’t cut the foliage off bulbs yet, allow the goodness in the leaves to be re-absorbed, but you can lift and divide overcrowded clumps, replanting to ensure better flowering in the future.

Most of all, though, make sure you enjoy your garden!

  • Standen, West Hoathly Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 4NE, Tel: 01342 323029, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/standen
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