With the winter nearly here, there is still plenty of work to be done. It is an ideal time for digging the ground over and tidying the garden up ready for next year
Soil
It is a good idea to get the ground dug over before the bad weather really sets in. The soil should be workable and when dug can benefit from the action of the weather. The rougher it is left the greater will be the surface exposed to the beneficial action of wind and frost.
Manure or rotted garden compost can be worked in at the same time if required.
This time of year is a good time to tackle remaining perennial weeds in your garden so you have fewer to worry about next year.
Vegetables
Outside
Brussels sprouts can still be picked now and right through until spring.
Cut back growth on chicory plants and cover them with a plastic container to force tender white stalks to sprout.
A great deal of the vegetable garden should be free for digging or trenching.
Lift seakale for forcing – cut off the side roots and lay them in bundles in a sheltered position outdoors in readiness for planting out in early March.
Protect the curds of cauliflowers by bending some of the outer leaves over them.
Sow broad beans and hardy peas in a sheltered place.
Lift and store Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, horseradish and salsify. Parsnips and horseradish won’t be affected by the frost but they very difficult to dig out of frosty ground so dig a few up now and store them in a shed or cellar.
In the Greenhouse
Most, if not all, endives will be in frames and these can be blanched.
Fruit and Berries
Outside
Plant fruit trees and bushes – check on spacing with individual species.
November is the best month for doing any hard pruning of fruit trees and bushes.
Outdoor vines may be pruned as soon as they have shed their leaves.
Rhubarb may be forced from now onwards throughout the winter. Lay a few roots on the ground for a few days, exposed to the cold and then take them into a warm greenhouse. Stand them close together in deep boxes with soil packed between them and keep them dark.
In the Greenhouse
Ventilate and prune fruit trees.
Flowers and Shrubs
Outside
Now is a good time to put roses to bed for the winter. Build up a 100-200mm high mound of compost or soil. at the foot of each rose.
Tall roses can be packed with brushwood around the plant.
The winter heath is a welcome sight as it will continue to flower at this time of year.
Bring out frost germinating plants that need a little frost or snow to start germinating. These include yellow pheasant’s eye, aquilegia, anenomes, monk’s head, goatsbeard, primroses, lily of the valley, foxtail lily and globe flowers.
You will need to find winter quarters for potted plants well before the first frosts arrive. They should be stored in cool, covered and frost free area.
A greenhouse is ideal if you have one. The plants need a certain degree of coolness so they don’t think that sring has arrived and develop prematurely.
Tidy up herbaceous borders as most of the herbaceous perennials will have finished flowering. Cut off all dead or dying stems and leaves but leave evergreen foliage.
Pot shrubs for the greenhouse including hydrangeas, lilacs, brooms, deutzias and roses.
Prune deciduous hedges such as hawthorn, blackthorn, myrobalan plum, sweet briar, beech and tamarisk.
Lift early-flowering chrysanthemums – lift a few of each variety now and place them close together in a frame or in boxes which can be stood in a cool greenhouse.
Complete planting of tulips and hyacinths – the sooner the better.
In the greenhouse
Attend to plants in frames – some will need protecting at night with sacking.
Bring in early bulbs that were boxed or potted in September – make sure they have plenty of roots before bringing them into the greenhouse.
Start to force flowering shrubs if you want some really early flowers on Indian azaleas. Spray them lightly every morning with slightly tepid water.
Lawns
Free your lawn of fallen leaves but they can be placed in borders and around plants as they are ideal for protecting perennials and grasses.
If you have an excessive amount, they are a good addition to the compost heap
Other Jobs
Fish may not survive outside if your pond is less than 1 metre deep and even then, they need to have a part that is kept ice free so that oxygen can penetrate the water.
Bunch up some straw and leave it to float on the water which will discourage ice formation.
Clear ponds of autumn debris and service electrical pumps.
Evergreen trees need to be kept well watered on frost-free days.
Most deciduous trees are best pruned when dormant in late autumn or winter. It is also a good month to plant deciduous trees.
Think about dried flower arrangements.