A Month of Growth, Colour and Community
- gardengateproject
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
As we step into May during a glorious hot spell, the garden at the Garden Gate Project is alive with fresh green growth and a dazzling display of colour. Everywhere you look, the signs of full spring are unfurling. Parrot tulips frilled and flamboyant in shades of orange, pink, and deep red, combined with lemon-hued miniature narcissi brighten up the troughs surrounding the weather station. Whilst creeping up the railings nearby, wisteria drips in lilac-blue racemes, filling the warm air with its unmistakable, heady scent.
Some of our team have been busy clearing out the blanket weed and algae from the wildlife pond, revealing its natural beauty once again. In doing so, we discovered three goldfish—beautiful, but not part of the pond’s intended ecosystem of sticklebacks, dragonfly larvae, tadpoles, and newts. They’ll be gently rehomed somewhere more suitable. With the sun glinting on the clear water and fresh irises and bulrushes emerging around the edge, the pond now offers the perfect peaceful scene for both visitors and wildlife alike.
In the vegetable beds, it’s a dynamic time of transition. While some crops near harvest, others are just being planted out. Fresh rows of leeks and chard have gone in, and the first of this season’s asparagus spears are piercing the soil, ready to be snapped off and savoured.
Steamed lightly with a drizzle of butter or shaved raw into a lemony salad, asparagus is one of the great short-lived pleasures of spring. The leeks planted last year have matured beautifully and are now ready for harvest—perfect for slicing into tarts, folding into risottos, or simmering slowly into a creamy soup.
The broad beans are once again in full flower, heavy with promise, and the potato tips will soon need earthing up. Elsewhere, the silver foliage of the globe artichokes is reaching its architectural best, catching the light and pairing strikingly with purple honesty and deep ruby and gold wallflowers.
Bees and butterflies are out in force, dancing between the apple blossom and the flowering soft fruits. Raspberries and blackcurrants are beginning to form, promising rich pickings later in the summer.
Inside the polytunnels, things are heating up fast. The tomatoes are well-rooted now and putting on healthy growth beside the bananas and exotic bird of paradise blooms. In the cold frames, we’re packed to the rafters with young vegetable and bedding plants, all growing on strongly in preparation for planting out - or for finding new homes at our Spring Open Day.
Join Us: Spring Open Day – Saturday 17th May, 1–4 pm
We’d love to welcome you to our Spring Open Day. As ever, there will be plenty on offer: a fantastic range of plants for sale, all grown by our team; homemade teas, coffees, cakes, and even fresh pizza and soup. You’ll also find a selection of handmade arts and crafts created by members of our talented community. It’s always a lively, welcoming afternoon—and we’d love for you to be part of it.
Come for the plants, stay for the company, and leave inspired by all the growth, colour, and creativity that make this garden such a special place in May!
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