These actions will guarantee that your garden is healthy and ready to bloom when spring comes. November represents the beginning of winter, and it is an important month to prepare your garden for the colder months ahead.
1. Tidy Up the Garden
• Remove fallen leaves from lawns, pathways, and ponds to avoid rotting and slippery dangers. Add them to your compost pile or use them to produce leaf mould.
• Remove spent annuals and clean up borders by pruning back dead or dying perennials, leaving some for wildlife habitat.
2. Protect Plants
• Move fragile plants to greenhouses or conservatories. Cover those that remain outside with fleece or cloches to protect them from frost.
• To insulate the roots of shrubs and perennials, use mulch such as bark or compost around their bases.
3. Planting and Transplanting
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs, and roses now, so they can establish themselves before spring.
• Divide and transplant overloaded perennials while the soil is workable.
4. Lawn Care
• To keep your grass healthy, rake leaves off it on a regular basis.
• Aerate compacted areas with a garden fork, and apply an autumn lawn feed to boost the grass for winter.
5. Harvest and Store
• Harvest late-season crops like parsnips, leeks, and cabbages.
• Lift and store root vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, in a cool, dry location.
6. Wildlife Support
• Clean bird feeders and provide fresh food and water to help birds get through the winter.
• Keep some seed heads and logs untouched to provide habitat for insects and smaller mammals.
7. Plan for Spring
• Plant spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils before the ground freezes.
• Prepare vegetable beds by digging over the soil and adding organic matter.
