"Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness: close bosom friend of the maturing sun."
Ode to Autumn - John Keats 1795-1821.
"The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies". Gertrude Jekyll
November is a frustrating month for gardening - so many jobs to do but so little daylight and so much adverse weather!
November is starting breezy & wet with the recent heavy rain allowing some parts of the country to lift their drought restrictions. Although it happens every year the clocks going back with darkness coming soon after 5.00 has come as a shock to most people especially after the above average amounts of sunshine this summer & early Autumn. With less sunshine be sure to get outside in the mornings especially to get your dose of Vitamin D. Climate change continues to be a big factor not just for gardeners with the devastating after effects of the hurricane that hit Jamaica this week. Nature & the garden is slowing down for the Winter & most plants & shrubs are becoming dormant.
On a good November day there is a short window after the dew and dampness have gone to get on with the jobs in hand, so forward planning is needed to prioritise the most important jobs, such as clearing the paths, borders and lawns from leaves brought down by the strong winds and rain. A basic wooden composter will help to store the debris & provide nutrient rich compost to use in the Spring.
1. Having cleared up the leaves and put them to compost the next job is the greenhouse particularly on a wet day. If you still have tomatoes producing fruit continue to water sparingly and perhaps add a little feed but do make sure to clean the windows to ensure that sufficient light is getting through the glass.
2. If you have apple trees no doubt you will have picked all the fruit by now and laid them down in boxes covering each layer with newspaper. It is important to check them once a week to remove the rotten ones and turn others if necessary. Apples should last well into the New Year if stored this way.
The health-giving benefits of apples should not be underestimated - adding them to soups or cook a warm stewed apple compote to eat on a cold day.
3. Turning to the winter look of the garden, dead hydrangea heads should be left on until the Spring. As well as protecting the new shoots the heads provide an interesting architectural structure although those with the deepest of colours can be picked and put in a vase for inside decoration.
4. If you visit a garden centre or nursery on a grey day keep a look out for some late Autumn bright flowering shrubs such as Coronilla Glauca which is flowering now and a couple of other times of the year. Apart from the delicate yellow flowers there is a lovely scent and you can even break off flowering branches and put them in a vase in your home. They are wonderful for self seeding and if you plant a couple of bushes now, by next Spring you could well have several new seedlings that will grow quickly.
4. Early winter vegetables such as some broccoli and cauliflower can be harvested and by sowing peas and beans now you can benefit from an early summer crop in late May. Cloches and polytunnels are essential to protect from frosts. If you have Kale (one of the most nutritious of vegetables) start with cutting a few leaves from the crown of the plant which will encourage side shoots to grow with more leaves to be picked from February to May. If your vegetable plot is looking somewhat bare and you have grown Chard allow it to bolt and wonderful colours of red and yellow foliage will result brightening up the drab outlook.
5. November is the perfect time to plant roses - one reason being the availability of bare root plants, which can often be bought considerably cheaper than the price of container roses. Dig a large hole, fill with compost and some blood, fish and bone mix but keep clear of the bare roots. Our bare root Roses for this season are now available to buy.
6. House Plants have an uplifting effect in contrast to the drab look of most gardens at this rtime of year & should certainly cheer up your interior space. There are many colourful plants one can buy as well as scented plants such as Lemon Trees. Make sure you place them in the lighter spots in your home but don't overwater.Take a look at our House Plant Collection for some inspiration.
7. November is the last opportunity to plant Spring bulbs such as Daffodils Narcissae & Tulips before the ground becomes too hard with the first frosts. Most gardens centres are now selling these bulbs at a discount .
8. Collect seeds from flowers & bolting herbs before the frosts which can damage them. If you store them correctly in a dry place you will be rewarded with a cost effective display of flowers next Summer knowing that you have grown them yourself.
9. Look after garden birds by providing high energy food a supply of clean water & safe shelter ideally on a bird table. Our Laverton Premium Bird Table is a good choice. Contemplating a variety of birds visiting your garden is an uplifting experience even on the dullest day
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