Shrubs and Plants flowering in May

Looking to add colour and interest in your garden in May. All the plants and shrubs listed below are May flowering and guaranteed to give your garden a boost. 

Choiysa

Beautifuly cream flowers on Choiysa

This is a fabulous garden shrub. Its evergreen, with glossy leaves and wonderfully scented flowers. You will smell it before you see it. Illustrated is C. Astec pearl (illustrated. )

How to plant, grow and prune Choiysa.

Wisteria

Beautiful blue wisteria

Beautiful, scented with a dazzling display long flowers, Wisteria is one of the best climbers to grow. 

Tips on how to grow and prune Wisteria and video advice.

Rhododendron

purple rhododendron in flower

Rhododendron and Azalea make a bright splash of colour and come in all sizes from compact to tree sized.Azaleas tend to be smaller in size and often more garden sized but both have the same growing requirements.

Aquilegia

delicated pink and white Aquilegia

Aquilegia are a late spring flowering, herbacious perennial. Aquilegai are very easy to grow, often self seed and come back reliably each year. They come in a vary large range of colours - images and growing tips

Aubretia

bee on aubretia

Aubretia is a long flowering perennial in bloom throughout April and May. Easy to grow. It is an ideal trailing plant for a wall or bank. It does benefit from periodic pruning to prevent it becoming leggy, Video advice how to do this

Tulips

late flowering tulips

Tulips flower from March to May depending on the variety.  Most Tulips are best treated as annuals although some, Darwin types,  repeat the flowering year, more info.

Allium

Allium emerging

I could never have a garden without Alliums. Most are spring flowering, and usually shades of purple, white and blue and easy to grow, returning reliably each year. Allium is a bulb which dies back completely over winter. Images, growing tips and planting combinations.

Hawthorn

If you want to bring wildlife into the garden our native Hawthorn is a good bet. It is home to many insects, loved by pollinators and the berries provide fruit for a number of birds and small mamels . This time of year with the May blossom it looks fantastic.

Primula

primrose

There are many varieties of primulas flowering in spring from the simple native primrose, illustrated, to its blousy cousin Polyanthus.

Easy to grow although sometimes short lived.  

Ceanothus

Ceanothus

Ceanothus is an evergreen shrub with clouds of soft blue flowers, usually  in the spring.

It is fast growing and needs a sheltered spot but looks fantastic in flower and is much loved by bees.

Clematis montana

Clematis montana

Clematis montana is one of the few Clematis which do not require pruning, which is in part why it is so popular in our gardens. It is a vigorous climber which needs plenty of space and sun.

Papaver Oriental

Blight orange oriental poppy with forget me knots

Oriental poppy is an easy to grow perennial which provides a bold splash of colour with big bright flowers. 

It's jus one of several types of garden poppies