With May mere days away, it’s the perfect time to don your gardening gloves and start sprucing up your green space in time for the summer. The risk of frost has passed in most parts of the UK in May, meaning it’s a safe time to start planting out an array of flowers.

If you want to get a few days head start this weekend, now is a great time to plant out three flowers with some of them blooming in time for July.

According to experts from BBC Gardeners World, flowers which can be planted in early May include zinnias, scabious and sunflowers. “Many flower seeds can be directly sown outdoors, while earlier sowings can now be planted out after a period of acclimatisation (hardening off) to outside conditions,” said the experts.

Sunflowers

Fun for the whole family, sunflowers are a fantastic spring and summer project to get everyone involved as you watch them grow to astronomical heights. From early May, sunflower seeds can be sown directly outside now and are likely to be blooming by July.

There are many types of sunflowers to choose from, with shades of rusty red, green and white, but yellow is the most famous. Depending on the variety of sunflowers you choose, most bloom between 11 and 18 weeks.

Sunflowers typically grow as much as three metres in height and their large flowers tend to be long-lasting.

To grow your sunflower, you want to pick a sunny, sheltered spot with good soil. Garden compost or some well-rotted manure will help enrich the soil if needed.

Make sure to water your sunflower regularly and a nitrogen-rich fertiliser can help them to grow extra tall. They can be grown in pots but if you’re chasing height, it’s best to grow them in the ground.

Zinnias

Zinnias are annual plants which come in bright shades of red, orange and deep pink. Occasionally you might spot some flowers in shades of green. Flowering for a long time, you can expect blooms to last from summer through to the first frost.

Zinnias are at their best in hot, dry conditions, so make sure to grow them in a sunny spot. They will also need to be planted in well-drained soil.

According to Gardeners World, zinnias planted out in May will be blooming by July. The experts from Gardeners World add: “Pick zinnia flowers regularly to keep more coming, and apply liquid feed through the growing season.”

Scabious

Another flower which can be planted directly outside in May is scabious. This summer flowering plant is known for its pink blooms, though they come in a range of shades from white through to blue. They’re also great for pollinators and their seeds are good for birds.

You should make sure to deadhead plants regularly to encourage more flowers to grow. This will also extend the flowering season.