Helping hedgehogs through the winter
With November bringing colder weather and shorter days, many garden animals start looking for safe places to spend the winter. Hedgehogs are especially in need of our help, as their numbers are falling. Setting up a hedgehog house under a…
Continue collecting leaves to make leaf mould
Autumn gives gardeners a valuable resource: fallen leaves. Instead of raking them onto the compost pile or bagging them for disposal, try to collect as many as you can. These leaves are perfect for making leaf mould, which is one…
Lift dahlias after the first frost
When November comes and the first hard frost hits, your dahlias stop blooming. The blackened leaves mean their summer display is over, but it’s also time for an important winter job: lifting and storing the tubers. If you garden in…
November is the perfect time to hang bird feeders
November marks a critical transition point for wild birds, making it the ideal time to set up or replenish your garden feeders. As the weather grows colder and natural food sources, such as berries and insects, become scarce, birds begin…
Provide fresh water for wildlife
As gardeners, we often focus on plants and soil, but nurturing the wildlife that visits our outdoor spaces is equally rewarding. One of the simplest yet most impactful things you can do to support local bird populations is to leave…
Winter-proofing your garden with chip bark mulch
When November arrives, it’s time to put down a layer of chip bark mulch. This simple, natural step helps your garden shift from growing to surviving the winter and keeping the soil healthy. Mulch protects your borders and beds from…
Leave the seed heads for wildlife
Leaving the skeletal remains of summer’s bounty in your winter garden might seem unconventional, but this practice, especially with plants like sunflowers, supports local wildlife and adds structure to the cold landscape. While the instinct to tidy garden beds in…
Remove fallen autumn leaves from ponds
November’s crisp air and vibrant autumn colours are undeniably beautiful, but for pond owners, this month often brings a particular chore: clearing fallen leaves. While a scattering of leaves might seem harmless, their accumulation in your pond can lead to…
Getting your tulips planted in the ground
November has rolled around, and for me, that means one thing: it’s tulip-planting time! Honestly, this is the most important and enjoyable gardening task of the entire month. While the optimal window for planting these beautiful bulbs stretches from now…
Raise those pots
November is the month when we really need to look after our winter container displays—especially those beautiful pots filled with cyclamen, pansies, and little evergreens. If your plant pots are sitting flat on the patio or decking, you’re setting them…