What can I do now to make my garden look good in May

[theremaybetulipsahead]

I'm hosting a party over the coronation weekend and am hoping to hold it in my garden if the weather is good. At the moment it looks beautiful with tulips and other bulbs, but by May they will probably all be gone and dying down (they are perennial in borders for the most part).

The garden doesn't have any shrubs yet and is grass, a large patio and some perennial borders.

I've already sown some poppy seeds and have some alliums but they probably won't be out.

Anyone got any ideas as to what I can do to liven it up? Even if its too late to do for this year I'd appreciate ideas as I'd like to make May nicer in my garden.

In two week time the garden centres will be full of flowers for immediate planting out. If you are on a limited budget, don’t be tempted to spread the plants thinly. Big clumps, especially of the same plant are more effective.

You could try a red, white and blue theme, of red geranium, white Alyson, busy Lizzie,ranacula, cosmos, blue flowers lobelia, geranium campanula.

I would nor rely on buying on line as you won’t know how far in flower they are.

if you want to give a gift to your guests, you could buy packets of red, white and blue seeds, for them to plant,

Do what I did at the weekend. Mow the lawn. It will look great.

scabious, erysium bowles mauve, white dianthus, nice euphorbia black pearl?

I agree about going to the garden centre. Hang on 2 weeks, go and take your pick (depending on your budget).

May is probably the best and most colourful month in the garden.

Thanks everyone, I will look these up tonight. I am a bit of a flower snob and don't normally do bedding plants, but maybe they will work for what is needed, thanks.

Sorry, to add, it doesn't need to have a red, white, blue colour scheme and in general I like naturalistic/wildlife style gardening.

I like the sweet alyssum that would look good amongst the green of everything else.

What’s wrong with summer plants? I didn’t realise there was a tier ranking system of plants.

It won't look like a bedding display if you don't plant it that way. Plant big clumps as a previous poster suggested, or elongated clumps of all one plant so they are in a swathe through the border.

I would say also get some shrubs too if you can run to it. You could plunge the pots into the ground to start with so you are just placing them for the party and can decide on a permanent position afterwards.

Also wondering this! What's wrong with bedding plants? Is this a thing?

I'm a disorganised gardener, so tend to be plugging gaps with bought ready flowering plants every year. I know it's not the cheapest way, but I never thought I was being judged for it!

You could buy some grasses to plant to give height and texture, maybe a well developed clematis or two if you have fences to run them up?

@Unbridezilla people will judge u for everything nowadays.

If you can find some Honesty in flower that would suit your naturalistic style and is royal purple, you might find the white variety. Lilac will also be in flower.

I'm also not a fan of bedding plants...
Doesn't mean i judge others for using them! I just prefer plants that return each year and i try to end up with no gaps that need filling

IME some people dont like full- on carpet bedding displays - partky becayse theyre seen as a bit old-fashioned and partky due to the environmental impact - rows of neatly spaced bedding plants bought in non-recyclable pots grown in peat-based compost and sprayed with pesticides "just in case", fed with chemical fertilisers... but I don't think they'd be flowering well in early May anyway!
I too sow annuals and occasionally buy bits and pieces of bedding plants for containers.

Late flowering tulips, aquilegia, geum, foxgloves, peony might all be possibilities! Or buy shrubs that you want to add anyway, but try and get them in full bloom.