November in the Garden

A month for a real display of beautiful autumn colour. This time of year the leaves begin to change and fall drastically. It is also usually a very wet month so mulching beds is important to protect your soil. By adding 5cm - 10cm of organic matter to your flower beds you will help protect your plants from the colder weather and allow the worms to pull the nutrients into the soil for your plants to benefit from in the next growing season.

Things to do:

• Clear lawns of leaves to protect the grass and gives the whole garden a fresher and tidier look. We can collect fallen leaves to create leaf mould. Leaf mould is useful as a mulch and can be used as a potting compost mix too

• Mulch beds with organic matter to protect and care for plants over the winter months ahead

• Planting Tulip bulbs for your Spring display

• Great time to plant bare root hedges, roses, trees and shrubs.

• Lift and store dahlias or mulch to protect from winter weather

• Wrap tender plants that are staying outdoors

• Clear sweet peas or other faded climbers

Star plants this month:

• Skimmia japonica | This plant gives great shape and structure to beds and planters and the beautiful red adds colour at this time of year

• Pennisetum | A grass that’s peak season of interest is end of Summer and Autumn. The seed heads capture the lower light and are very eye catching.

• Cornus / Dogwood | The bright scarlet stems provide wonderful colour

• Pittasporum | These evergreen shrubs hold their leaves and are a wonderful shrub for the winter months. They aren’t too frost tolerant so may need to be wrapped and protected from the colder weather and prefer warmer / sunnier spots.

• Pyracantha | A shrub that bursts with eye catching berries at this time of year. Looks wonderful trained up wall where the warm coloured berries will be on full display and enjoyed by birds.

We hope you have a lovey and cosy Autumn and look forward to working in your gardens this November.