In Your Garden

November

Put away the mower for winter, sharpen the secateurs and put your feet up!

Leaves are falling rapidly, and high winds and rain are on the increase. Tender plants need protecting from frost, gales and freezing rains. Move plants into the greenhouse, or into a sheltered spot, but if you can't, it is worth wrapping plants or pots. Winter can be a tough time for birds in terms of water and food, so keep their supplies topped up.

Plant tulips - as they enjoy the cool, moist conditions at this time of year. Look for bulbs that have intact skins and don't show signs of mould. Tulips should be planted three times the depth of the bulb. 

Garlic likes a period of cold so November is a good time to plant it. Put individual cloves 15cm apart in rows that are 30cm apart. Rust has been a problem in recent years so plant in a cold greenhouse or under a cloche to help avoid it.

In wet weather, raise garden pots up off the ground on ‘feet,’ or similar, to keep the bottom of the pot out of the water and prevent compost freezing.

Buy bare-rooted plants, which are cheaper than their pot-grown equivalents, by mail order. They are only available in the dormant season, so you need to be quick. They're a great way to buy roses, hedging, shrubs, fruit and trees. Try to plant them as soon as they arrive. Otherwise, give them a good soak in a bucket of water then roughly plant in a corner of the garden until you're ready to put them in properly.

For flowers to take indoors at Christmas, plant paper white narcissus in mid-November. Plant the bulbs so that their tips are just below the compost surface and plant them 2.5cm apart. Put them in a cool spot, such as a cold-frame, until the shoots are 20-25cm long, then bring them indoors. The stems will need supporting as they tend to flop.

There’s no need to go mad collecting autumn leaves as worms will pull any that fall onto the ground into the soil and help improve it. Try to clear them from paths and patios, though, as they can form a slippery layer.

Prune apple and pear trees. Remove dead or weak growth and any crossing branches. Shorten this year’s growth on main branches by a third, to a bud facing the direction you want it to grow in.