Everything, Everywhere, all at Once.
May is when most veg patches, whatever the size, really start to take off. It’s also the time most veg growers come to the slightly alarming realisation that they are either inundated with plants at various stages of growth, and feel totally overwhelmed, or so far behind they feel like giving up.
Whether you are growing on a balcony or on acres of land, this scenario is completely normal and happens to both new and experienced growers alike. So if you are an overwhelmed seed starter or a late bloomer, this blog is for you. We will discuss how you can approach both ends of this spectrum with a calm and practical approach.
Whatever stage you are at – take a breath! You are not failing, and the season is far from over. Gardening is not about perfection or keeping up with anyone else. It is about learning how to work with the space you actually have, your time, your energy levels, and what you genuinely enjoy eating and growing.
Remember, you are in control – you dictate what happens next. Even the Monty Dons’ and Charles Dowdings’ of this world make mistakes and learn something new every season. You’re no different! Cliche though it might sound, gardening is a long journey of joy, with a heap of trial and error thrown in for good measure.
In this blog, we will take the solitaire gardener approach to each end of the problem.
If You’re Feeling Overwhelmed
This often starts innocently enough. You sow a few extra ‘just in case’ plants, then a few more because the seeds were there anyway, and suddenly you have 12 courgettes (zucchini) plants, 3 trays of cabbages, nowhere left to walk in the greenhouse, and you’re desperately trying to work out where you are going to put them all. The important thing to remember is this: there is absolutely no rule that says every seedling you start must be planted out.
If you only have room for one courgette plant, it is perfectly reasonable to:
- Compost the extras
- Give the excess to friends, neighbours, or relatives
- Swap them locally for something you need and have space for
- Keep one spare as insurance and let the rest go
Offloading extra plants can feel wasteful at first, especially for newer gardeners, but overcrowding your space with too many plants often creates more stress and poorer harvests in the long run. One healthy courgette/zucchini with enough space to fully mature can easily outproduce several struggling plants crammed together.
For newer growers, this is an example (below mobile/right desktop) of underestimating the space a mature plant might need. The young cabbage plant on top looks innocent enough – but a fully grown cabbage is really quite a substantial beast. So, when assessing the space you have available, always consider the plant’s size when fully grown.
It’s worth being honest about your available growing space. Before planting out, take a proper look at your beds, containers, greenhouse, etc. and work out what will realistically fit. A raised bed measuring 4 feet by 8 feet (1.2 x 2.4 m) fills surprisingly quickly once mature plant spacing is taken into account. This is where many gardeners become overwhelmed – not because they failed, but because seedlings are deceptively small.
Your seed packet should have a spacing guide; all you need to do is remember that the seed company have based this on the size of the mature plant. Many gardeners will ignore the seed packet and wing it with spacing. But my advice for newer gardeners is to take the seed company’s advice until you have grown that particular plant for a couple of seasons. Learn how the plant develops, at what stage of growth you like to harvest it etc. Then by all means, you can go rogue with your spacing.
The famous or infamous “just in case” plants are another common trap. Keeping a couple of spare cabbages or brassicas, in case caterpillars eat the originals, is understandable and sometimes sensible. But rather than endlessly potting on backup plants, it may be more effective to focus on protecting the ones already in the ground with mesh, netting, and regular checks for pests. Often, the calmer, simpler solution is not to grow more plants, but to look after the ones you already have a little more carefully. Trust me, I am totally guilty of this one, and will do everything I possibly can to find more space rather than ditch the spare, ‘just in case’ plants. But there comes a point where I have to commit to the plants I already have, and focus on giving them the best care possible. I’d much rather devote my limited time and energy to a smaller number of healthy, productive plants than become overwhelmed trying to look after too many.
If space is tight, avoid the temptation to rush out and buy more raised beds or extra planters. Often, the best solutions are the simplest ones. Use containers you already have, repurpose buckets or tubs with drainage holes, or simply grow fewer things better. A calm, manageable garden will almost always be more productive and far more enjoyable than one that constantly feels out of control.
If You’re Feeling Behind
On the other side of the spectrum are the gardeners who look around in May and feel they’ve completely missed the boat. Maybe life got in the way, the weather was miserable, or the motivation simply wasn’t there earlier in spring. The good news is this: in the UK and other temperate climates, there is still plenty of time to grow food successfully.
In fact, May is one of the best months for direct sowing. The soil has had a chance to warm up, and depending on where you are in the world, the chance of frost has receded. Seeds germinate faster in warmer soil, and young plants often establish more quickly than they would have done in cooler spring conditions.
You can also see my ‘What to sow in May’ for more information on 5 easy sowings you start in May Five Vegetables to Sow in May for New Gardeners
There is still time to sow the following – and this is by no means an exhaustive list:
- Beetroot
- Lettuce
- French beans
- Carrots
- Courgettes
- Chard
- Peas
- Spring onions
If starting from seed still feels overwhelming, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying plug plants or young plants from a garden centre. A healthy tomato or courgette/zucchini plant from a reputable garden centre can catch up remarkably quickly. Gardening is not a competition to see who started earliest under grow lights in February – It’s about doing what fits with your lifestyle.
If you feel like you’ve missed the boat this season, trust me, you haven’t. But it may be a good opportunity to start thinking ahead for next year. In late December or early January, set aside a little time to choose just three things you’d like to grow from seed. Gather everything you’ll need into one place: your seeds, pots, trays or modules, and some potting compost. So when March arrives, you’re ready to get started without the last-minute scramble. Even blocking out a little ‘seed sowing time’ in your calendar now can make the whole process feel calmer and far more manageable when the new growing season begins.
Ultimately, whether you feel overwhelmed or behind, the answer is usually the same: simplify the next step. Plant what you have room for. Grow what you genuinely like to eat. Water well, observe often, and accept that every season teaches you something new. Even experienced gardeners make mistakes, lose plants, sow things too early, or realise halfway through summer that they grew far too much spinach, again!
You are in control of your garden. No one else gets to define what success looks like in your growing space. Start where you are, use what you have, and trust that a calm, steady approach will ensure your gardening continues to bring you joy.
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See below for more blogs on organic veg growing approaches, how-tos, tips and hints
- Simple Ways to Preserve Everyday Herbs (Without Fancy Equipment)
- Find Peace: Calm the Chaos and Remember, It’s Not Too Late
- Unlock Healthy Growth with Deep Watering Techniques
- Five Vegetables to Sow in May for New Gardeners
- How to Grow Courgettes: A Simple Step-by-Step
- Growing Swiss Chard: A Beginner’s Guide
- What to Sow in March
If you are interested in coaching or mentoring focused on gardening and greater self-sufficiency, please visit my coaching pages here Garden Coaching – Mindset and Motivation. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your garden projects or are struggling with motivation, then coaching may be for you. I can help you reach your gardening goals, keep you motivated and help you plan your self-sufficiency dream your way!
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