The Ice Saints – when the waiting’s finally over
In old weather lore, and especially in continental Europe, mid-May brings a key annual landmark for gardeners known as the ‘Ice Saints’.
This is the time, so it’s said, when you might see the last cold snap in spring – and after which even your tender plants can finally go outdoors. It’s when the long winter wait finally comes to an end!
So who are the Ice Saints and why do they matter?
The Ice Saints are a cluster of saints’ days covering the period from 11 May to 15 May. Over these days it’s still possible that late frosts could damage your tender plants. It’s only after this landmark that the frost risk is largely over – which means that summer’s on its way.
The five saints’ days in question are:
- St. Mamertus (11 May)
- St. Pancras (12 May)
- St. Servatius (13 May)
- St. Boniface (14 May)
- St. Sophia (15 May) – known as ‘Cold Sophie’, often the last frosty day.
Of course the weather doesn’t exactly follow this rule every year – but the Ice Saints are a long-established reference point in the gardening year.
What can you plant outdoors now?
After the Ice Saints all your warmth-loving plants can finally be planted out in your beds and containers:
- Tomatoes, peppers & chillies – these veg plants need consistently mild temperatures and can go outdoors or in a greenhouse now.
- Cucumbers, courgettes & squashes – these sprawling, climbing plants take up plenty of space and will only really get going after the Ice Saints.
- Beans & sweetcorn – this is the best time to sow these cold-sensitive plants.
- Basil & tender herbs – frost-sensitive herbs like basil and lemongrass can go outside now.
- Summer flowers & and tender perennials – now is the perfect time to plant dahlias, tagetes and sunflowers.
Final preparations for planting time
- Prepare the soil: hoe your beds, remove weeds, enrich with compost.
- Harden off young plants: if you haven’t done it yet, the plants you’ve started indoors will need a few days’ hardening off, to get them used to outdoor conditions.
- Water well & mulch: the plants will need sufficient moisture now – a layer of mulch will help to prevent drying out.
Now the gardening season can really get under way! If you haven’t started sowing or planting yet then now’s the time to swing into action for a summer of floral gorgeousness and delicious harvests.
