“Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps” — A. Bronson Alcott
The May garden is fresh and green. It’s one of the best times of the year here in Northeast Ohio.
Some of my favorite plants bloom in May. Not only are these selections beautiful, but many have rich fragrances.
Korean Lilac Is a May Garden Standout
The Korean lilac looks bejeweled with the raindrops clinging to it.
Korean lilacs bloom in early May in Northeast Ohio. This type of lilac is shorter traditional lilacs, growing to about 5 feet tall. The leaves are small ovals. The flower pannicles are also smaller than the traditional varieties.
Lilacs are fairly easy to grow and to propagate. I have dug up offshoots from the two original lilac bushes in our yards and created a hedge from them. They grow and fill in quickly.
You can prune and shape this shrub after flowering, but it often isn’t necessary.
These lilacs haven’t suffered from pests or disease in my yard.
Rhubarb is a perennial that looks lush in May. You can harvest the stalks when the plants are a year old, though I’ve read that you should leave about a third of the plant untouched so that the plant has enough energy to grow robustly.
Our rhubarb tends to be a favorite for the slugs, so I’ll put some pans of beer in the garden in the evening and empty them the next day when they are full of the slimly critters.
We love rhubarb compote over vanilla ice cream for its sweet and sour flavors. Here is our rhubarb compote recipe.
Penstemon
Penstemon are short-lived perennials in our garden. Luckily, they self-sow prodigiously, so with little effort you can always have some to enjoy. ‘Husker Red’ has small white flowers on tall stalks, but it’s the foliage that really catches the eye.
Penstemon have few pest or disease problems. You will need to protect them fro deer foraging.
Chives
Chives are at their peak in the May garden. They grow into thick clumps and seed like crazy, so I try to cut the dead flowers as soon as possible. Otherwise, they would have no problem taking over all of the garden beds.
Hosta
My hosta plants were one of the first transplants inside the garden fence because they are deer favorites.
Here they prosper in the rich soil. Although they won’t bloom until late June and July, their leaves provide beautiful texture and color in the May garden.
Hosta can grow quite large and may need to be divided. You’ll need a sharp, full-sized shovel to divide and transplant this old-fashioned garden favorite.
Building Up the May Garden
Last year, some particularly resourceful deer jumped the fence and ate all of my daylilies in one night. I felt that doomed.
My husband and I decided to extend the fence with longer poles drilled onto the existing posts. I then stapled netting to the poles, effectively creating an 8 foot barrier. So far, so good.
By planning and selecting plants carefully, you can easily create a garden to enjoy for many years.
Post updated 05/06/2024.
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