Gardens in May are incredible. All of the dreaming and hard work in the yard last fall is showing off. Cool season plants are continuing to bloom, and at the same time, warm season plantings combine with them to give us more color in the garden than in any other month.

During the first couple of weeks this month, we are still celebrating spring. The snapdragons, columbines, and foxglove will continue to be spectacular. With the warmer weather later in the month, our cool-season spectacle will gradually fade. If planned for properly, we will barely notice the transition into late spring with the many special southern plants that thrive in our Miss-Lou climate. May is just about the only month that you can enjoy both cool-season vegetables and flowers right along with the warm-season types.

Periwinkle, coleus, impatiens, salvia, torenia, begonia and geranium are a few of our southern bedding plant staples. For something different, try angelonia, melampodium, pentas or scaevola. These plants have been tested by horticulturists and gardeners in the south and are all proven to hold up to the heat. All of these should put on a continuous parade of color until frost.

Don’t forget to fertilize your new bedding plants! If you just plant them and water them you will likely be disappointed. Plants, like other living things, need nourishment to grow and prosper. I would recommend one of the many slow release prilled varieties widely available. Most of these will feed your plants for two to three months per application.

May is the ideal month to bring houseplants outside for some fresh air and a good soaking. Ficus, rubber tree, closet plants, palms, etc. can be set out under the shade of a tree or on your deck/patio. Most of these plants originate in the tropics and will be right at home during the summer here in the Miss-Lou. Make sure not to put your house plants in full sun outside as they will probably prefer some shade.

This is also the time to repot houseplants into a bigger container so that they will have more room to grow this summer. Even if you don’t want to put the plant in a larger pot, it would be a good idea to replace the old soil with fresh soil. Selective pruning can be done now and throughout the summer in order to shape them up for the next year. Remove any dead or weak stems or branches to isnure healthier specimens. Most tropical varieties respond well to fertilization. I would again reccomend a slow release supplemented with occassional liquid feed if you desire.

The damp, rainy weather we have had lately definitely aids in disease and some pest problems. Saturated roots, damp foliage and not enough air movement combined with overcast days promotes many diseases like mildew and botrytis. Although the rain is favorable for newly planted trees and shrubs, take careful notice of any diseases that may pop up. After a heavy rain is also a good time to check and correct any drainage problems in and around flower beds.

Now is still a good time to fertilize any spring blooming shrubs and vines. Any complete analysis fertilizer will suffice. Make sure to follow label reccomendations. If you are going to fertilize camellias, azaleas, or other evergreens, make sure to use an acidifying type of fertilizer. Most of these are conveniently called &uot;Camellia and Azalea food&uot;.

Celebrate May, the month of flowers. Welcome the transition from spring into summer. Bring a basket of flowers to a special mom for Mother’s Day. A small potted plant or a bouquet of fresh flowers harvested especially for her, would make any mom smile.

Gardening Miss-Lou Style is a weekly column written by Traci Maier of Natchez. She can be reached at 445-5181 or by email at ratmaier@iamerica.net