Beginner Gardening Mistake in May (And How to Fix It for All-Season Blooms)

If you’ve ever walked into a garden center in May and filled your cart with whatever is in full bloom… you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common mistakes I see, especially with beginner gardeners. Everything looks incredible this time of year. Tables are overflowing with color, plants look lush and healthy, and it’s almost impossible not to bring everything home.

But here’s the mistake:

Most gardeners buy what’s blooming right now instead of thinking about what will bloom later. The result? A beautiful garden in May… followed by lots of green and very little color by June.

Why Gardens Lose Color After May

Most plants displayed at garden centers in May are:

• Early bloomers
• Forced into bloom for display
• Near the end of their natural bloom cycle

So while your garden may look incredible when you plant it…by late June and July, many of those flowers have already faded. This leaves many new gardeners wondering why their garden suddenly looks quiet and green.

Pictures from my favorite garden center, Shakespeare’s Garden in Brookfield, CT.

The Cottage Garden Secret: Plant for Now and Later

Instead of asking:

“What’s blooming right now?”

Start asking:

“What will be blooming in June, July, and August?”

This one small shift completely changes your garden. True cottage gardens are layered—not just in height, but in bloom time. When one plant fades, another begins.

What to Plant in May for Late Spring Blooms

These plants help carry your garden through late spring.

• Roses
• Nepeta (Walker’s Low or Catwalk Queen)
• Foxgloves
• Dianthus
• Creeping phlox
• Peonies (Sarah Bernhardt is a classic favorite)
• Salvia
• Early alliums
• Bleeding heart (great for shade)
• Columbine (shade loving)
• Brunnera (beautiful in shade gardens)

What to Plant Now for Summer Blooms

These plants may not be flowering at the garden center yet, but they are the ones that will make your garden shine in summer.

• Coneflower (Echinacea) – long-lasting, pollinator-friendly blooms
• Millennium Allium – soft purple globes that bloom in mid-summer
• Bellflower (Campanula) – delicate cottage garden charm
• Lavender
• Garden phlox
• Dahlias – start tubers now for summer flowers

These plants begin to bloom right when many spring flowers start to fade.

Don’t Forget Fall Color (This Is Where Gardens Really Shine)

The most magical cottage gardens don’t stop in summer. They continue blooming into fall. Plant these in May so your garden stays beautiful later in the season:

• Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ – structure and late-season color
• Anemone – romantic flowers from late summer into fall (I love Love Me Sweetly from Proven Winners)
• Dahlias – bloom continuously from mid-summer until frost

You may need to ask the nursery for these or order them online. If you can’t find them yet, simply leave space in your garden so you can add them later.

How to Balance Your Garden in May

When planting this month, aim for a mix of:

• A few plants blooming now (for immediate beauty)
• More plants that will bloom later (for long-lasting color)

This creates a garden that evolves throughout the season instead of fading.

A Simple Trick for Shopping Smarter at the Garden Center

Next time you’re shopping for plants, pause before adding them to your cart and ask:

• When does this plant bloom?
• How long does the bloom last?
• What flowers will replace it when it fades?

That one habit will completely transform how your garden looks over the course of the season.

Final Thoughts

A cottage garden isn’t about a single moment of beauty. It’s about a garden that changes and unfolds all season long. When you plant in May, you’re not just planting for today. You’re planting for June, July, August, and even fall. And that’s where the real magic happens.