Magical for May

A shelf of gardening books is like an attic of memories and forgotten stories.

I wanted to look up ‘lilac trees’ now that we have entered May but could not find a single tome which could name a few modern varieties.

My search was prompted by the arrival of the ‘May gap’, a period between the spring bulbs — which have pretty much done their stuff by now — and the arrival of the herbaceous heavies. My favourite heavies include lupins, delphiniums, alstromeria, and early clematis, along with a trinity of May delights; columbine, peony and lily of the valley.

You do not have a May gap? Then you are wise indeed and have planned for late cherries, wisteria, the golden rain tree (the American name for laburnum) and wonderfully scented lilac.

I commend and admire your wisdom and choices, but have you included those devotees of shadowy places: hybrid azaleas and choice rhododendrons? Perhaps not, so now is the ideal time to plan a change and to indulge perhaps in a tremendous gamble. You may embark with timidity on the purchase of these woodland gems (and watch over them with trepidation until they bloom) but be assured that they will bring rewards in abundance over many, many years.

There is something obsessive about these exotic shrubs. Gentlemen love them but the ladies are first to notice their muted pastel shades and powerful scent. Indeed I have never met a gardener, male or female, who was disappointed with azaleas.

Of course if you love them and have the right kind of lime-free soil, the scope is joyous. Even if your soil is alkaline you can still grow them in suitable tubs and containers or in specially dug and prepared planting holes (separated from the surrounding soil by a vertical lining to the sides of the hole with polythene) in any half-shaded spot. Fill this hole with a lime-free medium; leaf-mould, pine-needles, garden compost or used potting compost.

I would like to tempt you with one or more Ghent azaleas which have fragrant long-tubed, honeysuckle-like flowers. No variety will be found less than good. The Knaphill and Exbury hybrids have a heavenly range of colours and the Mollis azaleas bloom early this month before their leaves appear.

I still thrill at the sight of the soft rose-pink colours found on the likes of ‘Berryrose’ and the whites with just a touch of yellow such as ‘Persil’.

In the 20 and more years a Persil variety has stood in my front garden it has never failed to impress either in the perfection of its blooms or intense perfume.

Nearby grow wide, fat, dumpling-shaped specimens of evergreen azalea ‘’Vuyk’s Scarlet’ (see illustration) ‘Blauw’s Pink’ and ‘Adianthum’ in sky blue. They need neither attention nor coddling from year’s start to finish and this includes my regime of absolutely no pruning. They just don’t need it, all being tidy, compact growers.

Feeding is done with leaf litter in autumn and every sweeping is used as mulch material around and beneath their branch network. If you want to give special attention to this aspect of their cultivation then opt for rotted pine needles or shredded fronds of wild bracken. Both are free, they acidify the soil, add humus and conserve moisture. Many of the above and a host more are in flower now in garden centres. Source and plant them as soon as the soil and weather allow.