Bishy Barnabee’s Cottage Garden

Sow in May

The last frost passes — plant out and keep sowing

What to sow in May
Flower seedsAnnuals & perennialsVeg seedsFrom salad to squashHerb seedsKitchen and gardenCut flowersFor the vasePollinator friendlyBees & butterfliesUnder £2.50Stock up favourites
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A bumblebee hovers by purple, bell-shaped Comfrey flowers from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, surrounded by green leaves and a soft, natural background.
Herb Seeds

Comfrey

Sow: Mar–May · Oct–Nov
£1.95 View
Lettuce Tom ThumbNew
Vegetable Seeds

Lettuce Tom Thumb

Lactuca sativa 'Tom Thumb' Heritage compact butterhead lettuce,…

Sow: Feb–Aug
£2.00 View
Beetroot BoltardyNew
Vegetable Seeds

Beetroot Boltardy

Beta vulgaris 'Boltardy' Heritage bolt-resistant beetroot, RHS AGM The…

Sow: Mar–Jul
£1.95 View
Radish Sparkler
Vegetable Seeds

Radish Sparkler

Raphanus sativus 'Sparkler' Heritage red-and-white round salad radish,…

Sow: Mar–Sep
£1.95 View
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Sowing in May — your questions answered

What can I sow in May?

The last frost in most of the UK falls in early to mid-May, so everything tender can finally go outside. Sow direct: French beans, runner beans, courgettes, sweetcorn, squashes, pumpkins, salad leaves, beetroot, carrots, and most herbs. Plant out: tomatoes, cosmos, zinnias, and any half-hardy annuals you have raised under cover. Keep succession-sowing salads and quick crops.

When can I plant out my half-hardy seedlings?

Once nights are reliably above 8–10°C and the last frost has passed in your area. For most of the UK that's mid-May; in the South West and along the south coast you can sometimes plant out from late April; in Scotland and northern England, wait until late May or early June. Harden plants off gradually over a week before they go in.

Is it too late for hardy annuals?

Not at all — a May sowing of hardy annuals like cornflowers, calendula, and nigella will flower from late July through autumn, extending the season nicely. They won't be as tall or productive as autumn-sown plants, but they're still very worthwhile. Sow direct into well-prepared soil and water in gently.

What about pollinator-friendly plants?

May is an excellent month to sow plants for pollinators — borage, calendula, cosmos, phacelia, and verbena bonariensis all establish well now. They will be flowering by July or August, providing nectar through the critical late-summer gap when many garden flowers have gone over.