You might think that November is a quiet month for gardening, but it isn’t! While there’s no doubt that the weather is getting colder, the days are getting shorter and plants are dying back for the winter, there is still lots to do! Not only are we cleaning up this year’s blooms and growth in the gardens we maintain but we are also be spending a lot of time doing advance work to make sure our gardens and equipment are well prepared for next year.
Here are 20 things we recommend doing in your garden this month:
- Plant spring bulbs like snowdrops, crocus, tulips & daffodils.
- Plant bare-root trees and roses.
- Protect tender and newly-planted shrubs from frost.
- Tidy the garden for winter.
- Clear out bird boxes and put food out for birds.
- Clean or throw out old pots and trays.
- Winter-prune fruit trees and bushes.
- Begin any winter-pruning of deciduous trees and shrubs including hedges.
- Clean your gardening equipment.
- Keep raking up fallen leaves and clear leaves from on top of perennials
- Check tree ties and stakes and tie in climbers
- Prune and Trim hedges
- Cut down old plant growth as well as cut back grasses and bamboo.
- Scarify and aerate your lawn
- Insulate containers and move them to a sheltered position to protect from frost.
- Scrub down garden furniture to remove dirt & algae and, once dry, apply preservative.
- Repair fences and put in new wire supports for climbers and vines. With plants dropping their leaves you can better see where fences and supports need repairing.
- Prune back climbers like climbing roses, climbing hydrangea and Pileostegia to prevent wind damage.
- Turn off and drain your outside tap to prevent freezing. To be doubly safe, you can also wrap the tap with bubble wrap.
- Raise your mower height to one of the higher settings. As long as the grass continues to grow, you will need to keep cutting in every few weeks. (Do not attempt to mow if the ground conditions are very soft or frozen, or during spells of cold, drying winds. Never walk on frozen or frosty grass.)
If you’ve been enjoying your garden this year but don’t fancy tiding it up and preparing it for next year, contact us and we can do it for you!