November 2024 - what to do this month

[MereDintofPandiculation]

For me:

cut hedges, before March
prune everything that needs to be pruned, before March

mulch

bring tender plants into the greenhouse for winter

sort out seed packets and see what I need to buy for next year

finish planting spring bulbs

Finish planting bulbs and perennials that are ready and waiting to go in ground.
Mulch.
Plant roses (I've dug some up that weren't thriving to move to a hopefully better spot).
Move barrel pond (realised it was in unsuitable spot).
Lay stepping stone path (this will probably be done in stages through the winter tbh).
Build habitat wall to fill gap in fence within garden (using old roof tiles, logs, sticks etc).
Sow a few hardy annuals for planting out in spring (ammi and the like).
Remember to water newly planted stuff if we have dry spells (too many plants have perished because I've failed to do this 😑)

At the risk of being THAT person, please leave plants for habitat til the spring. We're so nature depleted in the UK.

You mean, resist the urge to chop down perennials for tidiness, leave leaves on the ground, etc?

Yes, leaving cover for creatures.

quick question - the weather forecast here is really mild, 19C by the end of next week. Can I still plant perennials? Trying to get ahead for next year. Thank you

Yes. They’re still being sent out by nurseries

My list:
Plant bulbs
Change summer pots to winter pots
Final cut of lawns if they dry out sufficiently
Get dead Cotinus dug out
Finish planting up new winter flowering border that was started in the spring and left over the summer.
Prune shrubs that require winter pruning
Move some Geranium Roxannes to different locations
Weeding. No shortage of weeding.
Chase landscapers who quoted to replace my rotten wooden path edging with steel, but who have failed to get back to me with a date

Oh and sow sweet peas. I’m determined to win back the sweet pea trophy next year.

@VenusClapTrap what’s going into you winter flowering border? Thank you 🙏

@Koulibiak I should have said winter interest rather than winter flowering really, as some are for foliage. I have already planted witch hazels, Euonymus alatus (for autumn colour and interesting stems), some little dwarf blue spruce, Skimmia and Winter Sweet. There is a pre-existing variegated holly and large Pittosporum. I’ve started the under planting with Bergenia, variegated Carex and Primulas. I’m planning to add some heathers and winter flowering perennials - maybe Cyclamen, Hellebores, Lily of the Valley, Erythronium perhaps. It’s not the easiest border because it’s east facing, and backed by a mature, densely clipped Leylandii hedge, so quite dry.

For me:
Plant last of the tulips.
Plant two climbing roses (if J.Parker deign to actually send them to me, they were ordered in August).
Plant fruit tree and bushes (when I decide what to plant). My little veg plot was such a disaster this year, I’m giving it over to fruit.
Sort out front border which is mostly overgrown hebe, euonymus and heathers.
Possibly dig up small conifer.

@Koulibiak I would also consider Viburnum bodnantense (scented flowers on bare stems - mine is in full flower now and will continue till April), winter flowering cherry, winter jamine (yellow flowers, from now till March), Cornus, eg “midwinter fire” and some willow species for stem colour, with bluish white Rubus cockberniensis for backdrop, snakebark maple for bark colour, then Cornus mas and Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) for early spring flowers.

if J.Parker deign to actually send them to me, they were ordered in August).. They will. Most of their stuff is for despatch in November, especially bare-root

Good to hear @MereDintofPandiculation and makes sense.

@VenusClapTrap and @MereDintofPandiculation thank you, that’s helpful