Summer is not far away, although in many parts of the country, including here in Suffolk, there is always the danger of a frost right up until the end of May! This is why it pays to err on the side of caution if you have bedding plants which you want to set out to their flowering positions, whether in the garden or in patio containers and hanging baskets.

Summer Bedding Plants
Most summer bedding plants are half-hardy annuals, so they may damaged or even killed by a late, sharp frost. Having said that, they can be gradually accustomed to outdoor conditions (hardened off) this month, so that when the times comes to plant them out towards the end of the month they will be ready for it. Bring them back into the greenhouse or cold frame when cold nights are forecast.

Hardy Annuals
There is still time to make sowings direct in their flowering positions of hardy annuals such as calendula, godetia, cornflower, clarkia and nasturtium. They will germinate readily and soon grow into flowering plants. By making more than one sowing of these, you can extend the flowering period until well into autumn. Hardy annuals are a great way to encourage children to take an interest in gardening.

Vegetables
In the vegetable garden half hardy species such as runner and French beans, courgettes and sweet corn can now be sown direct in their cropping positions. The soil should be warming up, which will encourage germination, and by the time the seedlings emerge the danger of frost will be passing. If you already have a row of sweet peas growing, try sowing runner bean seeds in gaps between them to make the most of the space available. In our experience you will get a fine crop of beans and plenty of sweet peas - they always seem happy to share the space.

Courgettes and marrows
Courgettes and marrows are easy to grow and their large seeds are best sown on edge rather than flat to minimise the risk of them rotting before they can germinate. There is very little difference between courgettes and marrows other than the stage at which they are harvested. Most modern breeding has concentrated on producing varieties which can be picked young as courgettes, but if you cannot manage to use them all at this stage (and there will always be one or two you miss!) you can leave them to grow into marrows for picking later in the summer - delicious with a cheese sauce. You could even try making marrow and ginger jam!

Sweetcorn
If there is one vegetable which proves the point that home-grown is better than shop-bought it must be sweet corn. Once you have eaten cobs taken from the plants, cooked and eaten within minutes - ideally smothered in butter - you will never want to buy them from the shop again. Remember to plant sweet corn seeds in a block formation rather than in a row, as this facilitates pollination of the plants by wind action. The modern sweet corn hybrids are vigorous and reliable, producing tasty, well filled cobs with very little effort.