November is when the garden begins to settle down for winter, says Adam Kirtland. The last of the autumn colour hangs on where it can, fallen leaves seem to reappear five minutes after you’ve cleared them, and daylight suddenly feels like a rather limited resource

It would be tempting to retreat indoors and declare the gardening year finished, but November still has plenty to offer. In fact, this quieter month is perfect for getting a few important jobs ticked off while laying the foundations for next year. Here are five timely November jobs to keep you outside, even if a decent coat and a hot cup of tea are now essential gardening equipment.

Plant Your Tulips

If you have been patiently holding onto your tulip bulbs, now is their moment. November is an ideal time to get them into the ground or containers, where they can quietly get on with things before bursting into colour next spring. Plant them generously for the best display, because a handful of tulips is lovely, but a great big pot overflowing with them is considerably better. Gardening is rarely the place for restraint when bulbs are involved.

Welcome Bare-Root Season

November marks the beginning of bare-root planting season, making it a brilliant time to add roses, trees, fruit bushes and hedging to the garden. They might arrive looking rather underwhelming, essentially a collection of sticks and roots, but do not be fooled by appearances. Get them planted promptly into prepared soil, provided the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged, and they can begin establishing before spring arrives.

Protect Pots and Tender Plants

Cold weather can arrive surprisingly quickly now, so spend a little time making sure vulnerable plants are ready. Move tender plants somewhere sheltered, raise containers onto pot feet to improve drainage and protect anything particularly susceptible to frost with fleece or another suitable covering. Check dahlias and cannas too, lifting and storing them after frost where necessary. It is far easier to prepare on a mild November afternoon than dash outside with fleece when the temperature suddenly plummets.

Turn Leaves Into Something Useful

The seemingly endless supply of fallen leaves can feel like a chore, but they are actually one of autumn’s best freebies. Clear them from lawns, paths and ponds, then collect them separately to make leaf mould, which will eventually become a wonderfully useful soil improver. There is no need to remove every leaf from the garden either, as a few piles beneath hedges and in quiet corners provide valuable winter shelter for wildlife. Sometimes being slightly untidy is officially the correct gardening decision.

Prepare for Winter Weather

Before winter properly arrives, take a walk around the garden and check anything likely to struggle with wind, rain or frost. Make sure tree ties are secure without being too tight, repair loose fence panels and check that climbers are firmly attached to their supports. It is also worth moving vulnerable pots somewhere sheltered before prolonged wet or freezing weather arrives. Ten minutes spent spotting potential problems now can prevent considerably more irritating jobs on a freezing morning in January.
November may be quieter, darker and considerably muddier, but there is something satisfying about this stage of the gardening year. With spring bulbs tucked away, new plants settling in and everything gradually being made ready for winter, the garden begins its well-earned rest. And once the essential jobs are finished, you can head indoors with muddy boots, cold hands and the comforting knowledge that somewhere beneath the soil, next year’s garden has already begun.