November Notes from the Potting Shed
with Gardening Expert Chris Milborne
This month all paths seem to lead towards Christmas, and gardens become a key source of evergreens, flowers, berries and seed heads for wreaths, swags and table decorations - or to brighten planted containers. And of course, Brussels sprouts, parsnips and other allotment vegetables are ready to harvest.
After recent weather, gardens can look a little soggy and brown, yet colour still shines through: the glossy conker-brown peeling bark of cherry trees, the vibrant red, orange or green stems of Cornus, and the varied colours and leaf shapes of evergreens such as Pittosporum, Euonymus, Nandina, Leucothemum, Eleagnus and Aucuba. Berries glow on Cotoneaster and Pyracantha. Pieris, ideal for shady acidic soil or tubs, offers fresh red growth in spring and often white bell-shaped flowers.
Helleborus niger provides beautiful white blooms above leathery foliage, while Skimmias, Sarcococcas (Christmas box) and Mahonias have been filling the garden with colour and scent since November.
Gardening on a dry, cold winter’s day is something to savour - refreshing exercise. With leaves now fallen, the decaying foliage enriches the soil, sweet scents rise from damp leaves, and the first bulbs begin to show. With the garden back to its winter skeleton, it’s the perfect time to rethink design: new focal points, replanting or creating fresh beds and borders. My lawn gets smaller every year! If the garden looks flat, add height with topiary - standard holly, olives, bay trees or yew pyramids - all giving year-round structure. Garden obelisks also add impact and support summer climbers.
If conditions allow - and this autumn has been excellent - dig over and prepare soil for next year, adding compost, soil improver or well-rotted manure. On the allotment I dig trenches or holes where beans and courgettes will go, line them with cardboard, fill with compostable waste over winter, then cover with soil ready for spring.
As I create new planting areas, I consider changing weather: wetter winters, drier summers. I look for plants that cope well - trees for summer shade, shrubs to help air quality, and ground-cover to retain moisture. I also plant for wildlife, aiming for flowers across as many months as possible. I’ve noticed more butterflies this year - a good sign.
The greenhouse is now cleaned - a perfect wet-day job. Terracotta pots are stacked under the benching, safe from cold damage, and their retained warmth helps protect Agapanthus and Geraniums above.
Growing your own fruit and veg makes you appreciate the fresh flavours. With soil in ideal condition, it’s a great time to plant blackcurrants, red and white currants and gooseberries. They look good even in small spaces, among shrubs, tubs or with dwarf fruit trees. All cropped brilliantly this year and can be pricey to buy.
At this time of year I enjoy browsing seed stands, always choosing at least one new vegetable to try. Move containers of shrubs and winter bedding to sheltered spots and raise them on pot feet for drainage.
Plant up seasonal containers with evergreens, Hellebores, Heucheras, Heathers, conifers, evergreen ferns and grasses, plus violas, pansies and cyclamen. I often tuck in a few Cornus stems for height and colour.
Indoors, I think about Christmas houseplants - the classic Poinsettia, with its colourful history, needs bright, indirect light, warmth and no draughts. I make my own mixed containers using foliage plants with similar needs, keeping flowering plants in pots so they can be swapped as blooms fade.
Other favourites include Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis orchids (two months of flowers), Christmas cacti, indoor Azaleas and the fragrant white blooms of Jasmine polyanthum. A lovely alternative to a Christmas tree is the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla).
From the potting shed, Seasons Greetings and best wishes.
