Home Greenhouse Ideas in Marvellous May

May is the month of pleasant optimism, 31 days when the weather is mild and the flowers are in bloom. With an average temperature of around 13 degrees centigrade across the whole month, it's significantly warmer than the first four months of the year. While it's still technically spring, it often feels more like summer with temperatures rising to 19 degrees. It really is the perfect time to peruse home greenhouse ideas, whether you're buying from scratch, replacing or making the most of the one you have.

The ubiquitous Hawthorn, which lines country lanes, often cut into hedges (haw is an old word for hedge), is known as 'The May Tree'. This gnarled bark beauty, is steeped in tradition and throughout history has been thought to possess supernatural powers. In the spring and early summer its baby leaves unfurl into vibrant green and surround a myriad of small bouquets of white blooms, often tinged with pink. It's strongly linked with May Day celebrations as it blooms at the beginning of May and used to play a part in the May Day customs of old, when people would go 'a maying' gathering flowering branches alongside horn-blowing and playing music. If your home greenhouse ideas include planting a protective hedge close by, you can't go wrong with Hawthorn as it responds well to being cut back hard, to ensure you don't lose any potential light from your greenhouse. And legend says, it protects from lightning too!

Home Greenhouse Ideas for May

• Harden off bedding plants (half-hardy), ready for planting outdoors. Gradually introducing them to the outdoors, placing in a cold frame or sheltered spot in the daytime and bringing them back in at night. Depending on the outside temperature, do this over a period of weeks to acclimatise them.
   
• Continue to prick out seedlings and pot on.
   
• Plant glasshouse tomatoes in grow bags.
   
• Start to ventilate on warm days.
   
• Apply shade paint or use blinds to control fluctuations in temperature.
   
• Damp down the greenhouse on hot days, do this by pouring water on the greenhouse floor early in the morning, this will allow water to slowly evaporate throughout the day, maintaining humidity and deterring spider mites.