November Notebook

Garden tasks for November:

• Wrap up warm and begin cutting back yellowing herbaceous perennials – Hostas in particular lose their shape and form quickly
• Lift and store Dahlia tubers -trim stems to about 15 centimetres, air dry, crate up in thin compost or dry sand and keep frost free until spring
• There’s more to winter bedding than Pansies and Polyanthus! – Try Cyclamen for a gentle flowering display, Heuchera for a splash of colour, or grasses such as Carex for texture and movement
• Save yourself some stress; drain and lag outdoor pipes and taps before the first big freeze
• The impeding glut of sprouts might keep you going (or not) throughout the winter months but common garden birds will be struggling for food – keep them happy with a regular supply of high fat foods

---

A Second Spring #2

In last month’s A Second Spring we revelled in the season where every leaf is a flower…

Katsura tree

Dawn redwood

Maidenhair tree

---

 

Looking good this month:

Lavender, Japanese maples and Dahlias, in the Walled Garden

Aloe brownii in the Arid House

Cyclamen hederifolium in the Nicolson Rocks

Calendula ‘Orange Prince’ on the Lower Lawn

Nerine bowdenii in the South African Bulb Bed

Rhus typhina in the Geographical Beds

---

 

There’s more than one way to dig it; just click ‘Get Digging!’ at the top of the page and you’ll be able to follow the blog by email, or share your favourite posts on Facebook and Twitter by clicking the icons below.