Urban Gardening Tips for May

Hello May! What a glorious start to the month — with sunny skies, warm days, and a true burst of spring energy in the garden. Many spring plants are already thriving, and with fewer slug challenges this year, things are off to a smooth start! This week check your plants for watering needs, for especially the ones in pots and new transplants.

🌱 Our No Dig Education Garden is taking shape!
We’ve laid the foundations of the indoor allotment garden at MOES Tuinen and it’s already buzzing with promise - check out our Day 1 to Day 20 day video here. Also we will be sharing our experiences and tips in our monthly newsletter, starting this month below!

🌿 Last tickets: No Dig Course with Charles Dowding on 11 May!
As our newsletter reader, I am sure you’re passionate about growing food, improving soil, or just getting started with a more natural approach—this is the one not to miss.
📍 MOES Tuinen, Amstelveen
🕘 Saturday, 11 May – two slots: either 9:30 or 13:00
🎟️ A few spots left – see details and secure your ticket

What to Sow?

New vegetables to start this month:

• Kale & Chard – My absolute favorites to sow now for autumn harvests and for next spring

• New Zealand / Summer Spinach – Perfect for those craving tender greens through the hottest summer months.

• Autumn Cabbage – Great if you’ve got more space outdoors. Indoor growers, hold off until June to sow larger overwintering brassicas.

If you missed sowing last month, there's still time for:

• Half-hardy: Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, sweetcorn, summer beans, pumpkin and all the gorgeous half-hardy flowers. For faster germination and higher chance of success, recommend to sow indoors and transplant after 3+ weeks

• Asap: Peas, autumn leeks

• Cold-hardy crops that can still be sown all month – lettuce, carrots, parsnip, beets, celery, spring onions, winter leeks, herbs.

What not to sow this month?

• Radish, fennel, kohlrabi, spinach (except New Zealand / summer spinach) as these will flower early or be too woody. Recommend to wait for the second half of the year for succession sowing these

Tip for this month: Have you tried Amaranth yet? Would you like to bring some vertical highlight and gorgeous looks to your garden, as well as help birds with nutritious food? Check out one of our summer / autumn favorite Amaranth seed at our Backyard Goodness shop.

Already so much spring harvest variety from our small 16m2 indoor garden

What are we doing in the No Dig Education Garden?

Let’s begin with laying the foundations - the design.
We mapped out a clear layout:

• For a space of ~100m2, we built 14 raised beds (minimum 90–100cm wide, up to ~3m long) that maximizes the growing space.

• Propagation area to give slower growers a head start, plus additional gathering zones for workshops

• Arch Trellises on the pathways for climbing crops

• Small spaces around the garden to allow for water drip systems for low-maintenance watering

🛤️ Layout tips: Our main path is wider, wheelbarrow-accessible as well as for workshops, and the rest are ~40cm wide — narrow enough to maximize bed space, but wide enough to stay on top of maintenance (and avoid excuses!).

The build

We took over the new plot on April 1st and jumped straight into action, layering compost and shaping the beds the No Dig way. It took countless wheelbarrow loads of compost, to give an example one 120x240cm bed took around 8-9 wheelbarrows, plus one bag, 35L of worm compost on the surface.

Don’t forget: The paths are also very important - we mulched all pathways with woodchip for moisture retention.

Transplanting & early growth.
Thanks to the early propagation efforts and wonderful weather, we could plant immediately — salads, peppers, aubergines, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. Vertical supports were added for climbers, and the garden began to really come to life.

This month: Growth & maintenance.
We’ve been pruning tomato side shoots, checking supports, removing small weeds early, and watering consistently to help the young seedlings settle in strong. There have been some aphid damage on the seedlings as well, but as long as the watering is well and they are strong enough in May, the natural predators will slowly ease their impact.

One exciting experiment to share: Three of our garden beds are intended for soil trials; with different compost and fertilisers. We will share more on the first impressions starting next month!

Overall, we cannot wait for more growth this month and June will bring more excitement in the garden!

Harvests & Seasonal Chef tips

• Green Pasta: A vibrant, herb-packed pasta that celebrates everything fresh and green from the garden — think spinach, peas, parsley, and more. A perfect way to eat the season! 🎥 Watch the recipe here

• Charred Leeks: Leeks get the spotlight in this smoky, tender dish. Charred to perfection and drizzled with a punchy dressing — it’s a beautiful side or base for a grain bowl. 🔥 See how it’s made

• Spring Salad: Crisp, crunchy, and colorful — this salad is a celebration of spring greens, herbs, and edible flowers. Light enough for a sunny lunch, special enough for a garden dinner. 🥗 Get inspired here

Events & Updates

Last call - Join us for a Mother’s Day Special on 11th May!

On Sunday, 11 May, Charles Dowding will be hosting a special No Dig Urban Gardening Course at MOES Tuinen in Amstelveen. This event is perfect for gardeners, educators, and urban growers of all levels.

As a special thank you to the Backyard Goodness community, we’re offering an exclusive 10% discount on tickets with the code BACKYARDGOODNESS10.

See you in our next newsletter in June 2025!

In case of any questions in the meanwhile, feel free to reach out.