May Garden by the Month Ornamentals

Trees and Shrubs
  • Bagworms hatch in May. They feed on and defoliate conifers. Treat plants if they were infested last year.
  • Shear formal hedges.
  • If needed, prune spring blooming shrubs like azaleas, camellias, Indian hawthorn, and oakleaf hydrangea after they finish flowering but before mid July.
  • Keep an eye on dogwoods, deciduous magnolias (tulip trees), crape myrtle, and viburnum for powdery mildew.

Flowers
  • Let leaves of spring flowering bulbs die back naturally, so they can manufacture enough food for next year’s blooms.
  • Replace winter flowers (pansies, snapdragons, etc.) with heat loving annuals like coleus, sweet potato vine, vinca, and scaevola.

 

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