November’s weather can vary between brisk breezes and surprising sunny spells, making it the perfect time to get your garden winter-ready. At SeedsWild, we believe this season offers a wonderful opportunity to nurture your space while savoring the vibrant hues of late autumn. Here’s how you can make the most of this month:
Seasonal Tips for Your Garden:
Tidy Up and Prepare:
- Use sunny days to clear and refresh garden borders. Gather plant debris and add it to your compost bin or heap for natural recycling.
- Collect fallen leaves and turn them into nutrient-rich leaf mulch. Simply bag the leaves in punctured, reusable bags and let nature work its magic over the next year or two.
- Organize your gardening tools, pots, and trays. Clean unused items to prepare for the busy spring season.
Planting Priorities:
- November is ideal for planting tulip bulbs that will brighten your spring. Don’t miss this window to set the stage for a stunning display.
- Introduce bare-root trees, shrubs, and roses to your garden. These thrive when planted during the dormant season.
- Consider winter-flowering shrubs like viburnum and sarcococca for seasonal color and fragrance.
Lawn and Pond Care:
- Rake up leaves from your lawn to prevent damage and maintain its health.
- Give your lawn a final trim if the weather remains mild and frost-free.
- Remove decaying leaves from ponds to keep the water fresh and oxygenated for aquatic life.
Ornamental Garden:
- Cut back spent stems of perennials to tidy up, leaving ornamental grasses like Miscanthus for winter texture.
- Lay turf for new lawns on mild days and avoid working on frosty soil.
- Take hardwood cuttings from roses and other deciduous shrubs to propagate new plants for spring.
Vegetable Garden:
- Plant garlic cloves for a flavorful harvest next year.
- Start winter pruning of fruit trees to encourage healthy growth.
- Protect tender salad plants under cloches or fleece.
- Clear old crops and refresh soil with a layer of compost or well-rotted manure.
- Shield your fruit trees by applying grease bands to their trunks, deterring winter pests.
Pause to Appreciate:
As you work, don’t forget to take in the beauty of your garden’s autumnal transformation. The crisp air, rich colors, and natural changes are a reminder of the cycle of seasons and the promise of new growth to come.
SeedsWild is here to support your gardening journey with premium organic seeds and expert tips. Let’s make your November garden a space that flourishes, even in the colder months!
In France, local custom says that all planting should be finished by Saint Catherine’s day, November 25th as after this day there is too much danger of severe cold. In November, gardeners in France typically perform tasks such as the final cut for lawns if there are no frosts, raking and removing fallen leaves, and cutting back spent foliage and flowers of herbaceous perennials
Things to do in your garden in November:
Protecting Plants from the cold: As November can be a cold month in France, it is important to protect your plants from the cold. You can do this by covering them with blankets or burlap, or by moving potted plants indoors
Tidy borders by removing any dead or dying plants, leaves, or debris
Adding compost: Adding compost to your garden in November can help improve soil quality and prepare it for the next growing season
Plant bulbs for spring flowers, such as tulips, daffodils, and crocuses:
Plant new shrubs, as the cooler temperatures and increased rainfall can help them establish strong roots before the winter
- Begin winter pruning of fruit trees
- Plant garlic cloves
- Harvest cool-season vegetables, such as lettuce, broccoli, and greens
Things to plant in November
In November, gardeners in France should focus on indoor planting and cloning of outside plants. Indoor herbs are always great to grow in a sunny windowsill, and herbs are the most popular indoor plant to grow throughout the winter months. Flowers can also be grown indoors to brighten up the house. It is also a good time to sow under cover for leeks, leaf beet, beetroot (all varieties), basil, chard, and Brussels sprouts. After mid-month, tomatoes, cucumber, courgette, squash, pumpkin, and sweetcorn can be sowed. Outside, all potatoes, broad beans, lettuce, spinach, peas, salad onion, early and autumn brassicas, radish, leeks, leaf beet, carrots, and parsley can be sowed.
