This Month in the Garden

November in the Garden:
Work to be done at this time of the year

Divide Herbaceous Perennials

This is a good time of the year to divide overgrown perennials or to put in new plants. Especially at the end of the month when the soil is pretty warm, this will give your plants a chance to establish themselves before the cold really sets in and starts biting, plus dividing your existing plants will invigorate them and improve their future flowering.

Pick autumn fruits, and give yourself a pat on the back. If you're like me you'll be carrying your first pears around wherever you go with a smug smile and constantly saying things like: "Oh this? It's nothing really, just some fruit I’ve been growing..." until people either put in an order or punch you in the eye.

Dig up remaining Potatoes...

...before slugs become a big problem. Leave them exposed for three to four hours before storing.

Ponds

Remove excess blanket and duckweed, putting the weed beside the pond for twenty-four hours to allow tangled wildlife to escape back to their habitat, before composting whatever hasn't crawled off during the night. It's also a good idea to cover the surface of the pond with netting to stop leaves from falling into your pond and rotting, otherwise it'll get all manky.

If you cannot cover with netting, remove the leaves with a net on a daily basis. Remove dead leaves from waterlilies as they start to die back and also remember to cut back any overgrown marginal plants.

Cold frames and Greenhouses

Now is the time to do a little housekeeping. Painting fences and sheds, cleaning up patios, replacing broken glass in the greenhouse, etc. Remove all dead and dying plants from the greenhouse, do not let them over winter in situ as they will just attract pests and diseases and it'll end up being nothing more than a mortuary with transparent walls.

Hose down the cold frame or greenhouse and air your structure before bringing in tender plants for the winter.

If you are lucky enough to have hedgehog assistance in the constant war against slugs, now is the time to get their winter accommodation up to scratch by upturning a wooden box with an entrance cut into it, buried under a pile of old leaves. The entrance hole should be fifteen square centimeters (about six inches). Make a small entrance tunnel of old bricks and cover with leaves as this will discourage foxes as well.

• Plant bulbs for spring flowering.
• Plant garlic cloves.
• Plant climbers and shrubs.
• Take cuttings of tender plants.
• Top-dress herbaceous borders with manure or compost.
• Cut down top growth of dahlias after the first frost.
• Rake up fallen leaves, and stick them in a bin liner perforated with holes, this will produce leaf mold next year.
• Bring in any plants for over-wintering and keep them in a light, frost-free place.
• Prune climbing and rambling roses and autumn-flowering shrubs.