Colour for November’s garden

Since the clocks went back, it now feels very autumnal, but fortunately the dry spell of weather we’ve had has meant we’ve been able to get out into the garden and get some of the autumn tidy up done before winter arrives. Although it’s been mainly dry for a couple of weeks it’s been very dull and overcast much of the time. What would be perfect is some sunshine, but you can’t have everything and at least it’s not raining!

I’ve still got a couple of areas that I need to prepare and try and get planted this side of Christmas if possible. Although the air temperatures are now dropping, the soil is still fairly warm, meaning if you plant now, the roots have time to put on a little growth before winter.

My aim is to plant a selection of trees, shrubs and perennials around the garden that will provide colour and interest throughout the year. I think it’s important to have something to look at during the autumn and winter and two plants that are brightening up our garden at the moment are ‘Diascia ‘Hopleys’ and Cotinus ‘Grace’.

This diascia is new to me and it’s amazing. It’s a hardy perennial with an upright habit that doesn’t need supporting. The dusky pink flowers started in early summer and as you can see from the picture below, in early November it’s still looking great. The Cotinus is an old favourite, which can grow large, but by pruning hard in March it makes a more compact bushy plant and at this time of the year the foliage looks stunning.

For Jill and I the show season is now over until next spring and we are now out and about giving talks to garden clubs, WI’s and U3A’s, so we may well see some of you over the coming months. After a few unexpected delays, our new kitchen is almost finished, and Jill is very happy. Hopefully that means the possibility of apple pie for the weekend!

Jobs for November

This is the month for planting tulip bulbs in the garden and I’ll be getting some in over the next week or two. We leave them until now as tulips are less prone to attack from tulip fire (a fungal disease) if planted when the soil is a little cooler. Plant three times their depth, preferably in a well-drained soil.

If you’ve emptied your compost heap before you started filling it with autumn leaves, use some of it to mulch beds and borders. Over winter the worms will work their magic and pull it down into the soil to improve the structure.

Any soft perennials that have collapsed into a mush can be cleared away and composted. Hostas are a good example and if left in a heap they provide habitat for slugs!

Other perennials that have some interest from seeds heads or foliage I leave over winter to add interest and habitat for insects.

The grass is still growing, so when it’s dry continue to give it a trim. This also helps to thicken the ‘sward’ and keep it healthy over winter.

If you have agapanthus growing in pots, ideally bring them into a cold greenhouse for the winter or stand them against a south facing wall for protection.

If you are overwintering a few tender plants in a cold greenhouse, ventilate on dry days to avoid too much condensation and mould developing on plants. Also have fleeces on stand-by to cover the plants if temperatures drop to freezing.

There’s still time to plant garlic into the garden. Plant the individual cloves just below the surface of the soil and wait.

You can also start broad beans off directly into the garden or sow in cell trays in a cold greenhouse to give you an early crop next summer.

Rhubarb plants are dying back now and all the old stems and leaves can be pulled off the crown and added to the compost heap. If you have a little spare compost, they will appreciate a mulch around them, but don’t bury the crown of buds in the centre too deeply.

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Happy gardening