With gardens moving into their busiest season, Calne-based garden designer Alex Heath returns with another instalment of his regular gardening column, sharing practical advice for making the most of outdoor spaces during the months ahead.
April brought warmer weather and if you are lucky enough, bright and colourful blooms alongside delicate blossoms from cherry, hawthorns and other native hedgerow species. Ideal for uplifting the spirit and bringing that increasing hum of pollinators moving from plant to plant.
During a recent trip to London, I was lucky enough to walk through one of the major parks. I arrived on an early train allowing me a half an hour walk in a park whilst enjoying the spring sun, preferable to a 20-minute tube journey. After a bit of research, I found that London is within the top ten green cities in the world boasting around 80 public parks and 8 Royal parks. It was a chance to relax before a long and hectic day.
As residents for Calne, we are equally lucky to have public parks, open spaces and growing spaces lovingly cared for by the Town Council, volunteers and community groups for the benefit of everyone.
Green public spaces add value to the local community. Whether users are walking dogs, doing yoga or having a lunch break, nature enriches us, grounds us and doesn’t have an agenda. Gardens enhance our habitat, exciting the senses and stimulates oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine and endorphins; our happy hormones. Finding ways to generate these hormones is so important when it is estimated that 1 in 5 UK residents suffer from some form of mental distress (source mind.org.uk). Mental health awareness week is between the 11 th and 17 th of May, so this is a timely reminder to get outside and take notice of everything that is bursting with life at this time of year.
Deborah Meaden was recently interviewed by Monty Don at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and spoke about how gardening grounds her in her busy daily life. In contrast to her experience of business dealings, no matter how hard you might shout at the plants, they will just do their own thing, and this has taught her important lessons in patience and long-term thinking.
Gardening allows the gardener to take time to watch plants develop and grow, reaping the produce, wildlife benefits or floral delights in their own time without agenda, filters or AI adjustment. It physically connects us to nature but also provides those happy hormones. So, for the remainer of this month, leave the phone behind, get out and about and get grounded.
Garden jobs for May
- Check for pests and tackle them early on. If you are able encourage natural predators before
reaching for the sprays. - Earth up potatoes when the new shoots start to appear. This boosts the potential harvest from the
plants and stops the tubers from going green and poisonous - Keep on top of weeds in your vegetable beds.
- Keep an eye on greenhouse temperatures especially with the recent increase in temperature over
the bank holiday weekend. - Water plants in the morning before the peak heat occurs Give them a good soak every other day.
- Remember that watering at night increases the risks of mollusc damage and try to recycle or collect rain water where possible.
- It is time to do the ‘Chelsea chop’ on your branched herbaceous perennials. This will promote bushier growth and a longer flowering period.
If you are able book tickets to attend the RHS Badminton flower show. Tickets are available now and
it is a great opportunity to meet designers, growers and plants lovers locally.
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