The Merri Month of May: Life on the Farm with Trees, Flowers, and a Very Long Arms
Ah, May.
The month when everything starts to feel alive again—and when I start to question if my arms have actually grown from all the watering I’ve been doing! If you’ve ever hand-watered hundreds of tiny Christmas tree transplants, you’ll know the feeling. I swear my arms are longer than they were in April.
Our baby Christmas trees have been through so much already—lifted, bundled, transported, planted—and now they’re relying on me to make sure they root in properly.
Thankfully, May isn’t just about Christmas Trees. It’s also one of the most exciting months for flower farmers. Everything starts bursting into life, and the potential feels endless. The beds are filling up, the weeds are racing me, and every spare patch of soil seems to call out, “Plant something!”
If you’re looking to fill your garden or cutting patch this May, here are some flower seeds that do beautifully when sown now:
🌸 Top Flower Seeds to Sow in May:
Sunflowers – Quick-growing and always a crowd-pleaser. Choose branching varieties like ‘Sunrich Lemon’ or ‘ProCut Plum’ for longer blooming.
Zinnias – Heat lovers that thrive when the soil’s warm. Perfect for bouquets and available in every joyful colour imaginable.
Cosmos – Elegant, feathery foliage and delicate blooms. ‘Double Click’ and ‘Purity’ are beautiful choices.
Calendula – Cheery orange and yellow faces that keep blooming if you keep cutting.
Amaranthus – Adds texture and drama to arrangements. Try ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ for deep red tassels or ‘Hot Biscuits’ for a toasty golden hue.
Nicotiana – Great for fragrance and soft colour. The white and lime-green varieties glow in early evening light.
Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) – My absolute favourite. ‘Blue Boy’ is a must in my patch—it’s charming, cheerful, and bees adore it.
By mid-May, the soil is warm enough to sow directly, and the frosts are mostly behind us (fingers crossed). Just remember to keep watering—yes, more watering!—especially if we get a dry spell.
So here’s to the Merri month of May: when green shoots promise good things ahead.
See you in the field—with a watering can in one hand and a packet of seeds in the other!