November
Hebe mrs winder.
It could be said to be the end of the gardening year as most garden borders will be dying back. All the annual plants will have long gone and many of the herbaceous perennials will be ready to be cut down to ground level – it’s a good idea to spread some compost over the crowns, after cutting down, to protect the plants from the frost. There are some plants and grasses which have attractive seedheads, especially when glistening with frost so you may want to delay cutting back these until early spring.
Clearing the endless fallen leaves and cutting back plants will make the garden look so much tidier and also help to prevent the build up of pests and diseases which can be encouraged by rotting plant debris. The Gardeneer teams can make light work of these jobs with their Garden Tidyups - even in the most inhospitable weather! Regular monthly maintenance visits will also ensure that the lawns, borders and patios are all kept tidy throughout the winter months.
Lawns
Rake off leaves regularly on lawns to avoid the grass yellowing underneath. If the weather is mild lawns may need to be mown, but use a high setting to give a light trim and collect all the clippings. Also, pick off any fungi which may have grown in the lawn before you cut to help stop them spreading even further on the lawn. If the summer has caused too much damage and you would like to start afresh the Gardeneer team would be pleased to come and help lay a beautiful new green lawn for you.
Pruning
Rose bushes should be given a winter prune to reduce the branch height by half and help prevent wind damage. A further final prune should be carried out in Spring to ensure you get the best out of your roses and wonderful blooms throughout summer.
Planting
Now is a good time to start planting bare-rooted shrubs and trees including roses and fruit trees. Ensure the roots are kept damp by heeling into loose ground until planted properly in a well prepared site. To avoid damaging roots, stakes should be put in the ground first before the plant.
Bulbs
November is an ideal month to plant tulips and hyacinths - if planted too soon in the ground then they may rot, so you can keep planting tulips into December if you run out of time planting them this month! Hopefully you have planted most of your other spring bulbs – including narcissus, crocus and anemones, by now, but if you haven’t its not too late to do so before the severe frosts start. In most cases bulbs should be planted at least twice their depth onto a layer of grit or coarse sand. Bulbs planted now will give your garden a late flush a spring flowers which will lead into early summer.
Plants to look out for in November
Cotoneaster, Colchicums, Pyracantha
Patios
This year with the hot sun many of our customers have decided to add a second seating area. The sun worshippers like to have sun for breakfast and the evening and others like to have a choice of sun or shade. So if you would like that choice for next year let the Gardeneer landscaping team get it sorted for you.
