Important garden tasks for November: ensure you don't overlook these crucial steps immediately
Preparing Your Garden for Winter: A Guide to November Planting and Maintenance
As autumn sets in, it's time to gear up for the gardening season. Here's a roundup of essential tasks to keep your garden thriving through the colder months and tips on the best flowers to plant this November.
November Gardening Tasks
- Attend to fruit trees to help them get through winter in good shape. Weed around the base, prune apple and pear trees, and check that stakes are still in place and replace rotten or split ones.
- Stake winter vegetables like broad beans, kale, and Brussels sprouts.
- Propagate currants by taking hardwood cuttings and gooseberries by layering.
- Check stored crops for signs of rot and decay, and keep them safe from marauding rodents.
- Harvest and store remaining produce like potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, and certain salad leaves.
- Jerusalem artichokes should have their foliage cleared and stems cut down, with the roots harvested throughout the winter.
- Clean garden tools using a wire brush and linseed oil. Check over garden tools and ensure they are in good order.
- Clear and clean up the garden. Compost heaps should be checked for weeds and foliage from gourds and pumpkins removed.
Best November Flowers to Plant and Sow
November is a great time to plant and sow a variety of flowers and plants, especially those that thrive in cooler conditions or require a period of cold stratification. Here are some of the best November flowers to plant and sow:
- Eryngiums: These perennial flowers are perfect for attracting bees and require a cold period to germinate.
- Bugle (Ajuga reptans): A useful ground-cover plant, native to the UK, providing evergreen color throughout the year.
- Corydalis solida: A pretty perennial that enjoys cool, moist spots.
- Sweet Peas: Sowing sweet peas in autumn allows them to flower earlier in the spring compared to spring-sown varieties.
- Allium sphaerocephalon: While typically grown from bulbs, these alliums can also be grown from seed.
- Tulips, Hyacinths, Daffodils, Grape Hyacinths, and Crocuses: These bulbs are ideal for planting in the fall for beautiful spring blooms.
- Hellebores and Pansies: These are excellent choices for adding color to your garden during the winter months.
November Gardens to Visit for Gardening Inspiration
For inspiration, consider visiting gardens that showcase winter beauty and early bloomers:
- Kew Gardens, London: Known for its extensive plant collections, Kew Gardens offers a serene winter landscape with early spring bulbs beginning to emerge.
- The New York Botanical Garden: While not exclusively focused on November blooms, the garden's winter landscapes and early spring plantings can be inspiring.
- The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: This garden features a variety of winter plants and early spring bulbs, providing a beautiful backdrop for gardening ideas.
Visiting these gardens can provide valuable insights into designing and maintaining a garden that thrives throughout the year. Happy gardening!
Engage in propagating currants and gooseberries to prepare them for the upcoming growth season. Planting winter-hardy flowers like Eryngiums, Corydalis solida, and Pansies provides color during the colder months and helps pollinators. To maintain a homely lifestyle, consider planning a visit to Kew Gardens, The New York Botanical Garden, or The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for inspiration on gardening practices that sustain plants through all seasons.
