November is a month of change. Despite the occasional blazing day that lights up the autumn colours and creates a fever of outdoor activity in lockdown, the signs are all there to see; winter is coming, and preparations are being made for the new season.
Getting the garden in order is not only satisfying but also invests in the coming spring: I have spent hours and hours planting native daffodils, quietly muttering about how many I had to do (lots) but enjoying the exercise and the promise of things to come. It is still not too late to get tulips in and even daffodils if you hurry.
What is absorbing is the range of colours now emerging: deep, blood red rose hips, crab apple reds, orange berries, magenta Fuchsia flowers - all in contrast to the screaming yellow of winter flowering jasmine. It is all there if you look carefully. As a Hampshire garden designer I get a lot of brochures coming through the post: be discerining if you are using a catalogue - best go to the most reputable suppliers.
There are still plenty of jobs to do to get the best out of your garden in the coming seasons:
• Now is the time of year to prune Japanese maples. Make sure you cut right back to the branch or stem so as not to leave a “clothes peg”!
• Raking leaves can seem to be an endless task, but it is worth it. Firstly, it allows the lawn to breathe and reduces the chance of mould developing in your lawn. Secondly, the leaves are good news in a compost heap when a layer of soil is added every 30 cm or so.
• Burning leaves is another way of processing them: the ash is good for the soil as it is high on potassium - the element that encourages fruit and flowers. Add any diseased plant material to the fire too including rose leaves that have black spot.
• Put rabbit guards on new trees to stop them gnawing at the bark if food is scarce in a harsh winter. Check tree ties too: loosen one that are too tight as this restriction can inhibit the flow of sap and therefore nutrients, around the tree.
• Prune shrub and standard roses by about a third in order that the wind does not move them around and damage the root system.
• Lift pots and containers off the ground by a few centimetres and give them “feet” of tiles or stone to avoid water logging. Pots that are fragile should have their winter wrap to prevent frost damage: bubble wrap is effective.
• Continue to mow lawns until the frosts come in, raising your blade to the maximum height as the month goes on.
• Put out bird feed such as fat balls or hanging peanut feeders.
Make the most of your exercise time by planning a walk where you know there will be colour, life and variety, such as a local nature reserve. I defy you not to be surprised by the sheer range of wildlife you will encounter: some things may have stopped but life really does go on – thankfully!