Foxgloves are a beloved addition to any garden, with their elegant spikes and cottage-garden charm. While they are often considered low-maintenance, May is a crucial month for giving these plants a little extra care to ensure they thrive and produce spectacular blooms. Here's a breakdown of the essential tasks to keep your foxgloves healthy and vibrant throughout the summer and beyond.
Stake Your Foxgloves
Many foxgloves start growing rapidly in May, and their tall stems can easily bend or flop in strong winds or rain if left unsupported. Bamboo canes and hazel pea sticks are excellent natural supports, available at various online retailers. Alternatively, discreet metal plant supports can be placed around the stems before flowers emerge, allowing foliage to grow around them naturally. The taller, biennial types often benefit most from staking, so be sure to use soft natural garden twine and avoid fastening too tightly.
Deadhead Regularly
Deadheading is a vital task to encourage the plant to direct energy into the flowers at the top and produce additional side shoots. Remove the individual flowers that have faded, and later in the season, snip any faded flower spikes. This can trigger smaller secondary flower spikes further up, subtly extending the flowering season. Always wear gloves when snipping foxgloves, as all parts of the plant are poisonous. Floral gardening gloves are a great option to protect your hands.
Water Wisely
Foxgloves perform far better in late spring when soil moisture is kept consistent, especially during unusually dry US springs. Aim to water deeply rather than little and often, encouraging roots to grow downwards and establish more quickly. This is particularly important for container-grown plants, which can dry out quickly in warm, windy conditions. A mulch around the base will also help lock in moisture and keep the root zone cooler, supporting stronger stems and more reliable flowering as temperatures rise.
Feed Just Enough
A small amount of feed can help foxgloves grow to their full potential in May, but restraint is key. Overfeeding this month can lead to lots of leafy foliage at the expense of flowers. A balanced, general-purpose fertiliser applied sparingly, or a top dressing of well-rotted compost, is usually more than enough to support growth at this stage. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds and opt for an all-purpose flower feed such as Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster.
Manage Self-Seeding
One of the charms of foxgloves is their ability to self-seed, creating naturalistic drifts so typical of cottage gardens. However, a little control in May helps keep them from becoming overcrowded. If you want plants to spread, leave a few healthy flower spikes in place so seed can mature and fall naturally, while thinning out excess seedlings as they appear to prevent competition. Young foxglove plants transplant well at this stage if moved carefully while still small.
With a little care and attention this month, your foxgloves should continue to provide gentle drama and a home for delighted bees until midsummer. Remember, these plants are poisonous, so always wear gloves when handling them, and enjoy the beauty of your garden's natural drama!
