November

If you didn't finish your gardening chores in October, there is still time as November can be a pleasant and mild month.. However, cold weather often hits us in the last half of the month and frequent frosts can be expected. If you work full time like I do, finding time for garden work can be a chore in itself. The change to standard time in late October takes away those extra hours in the afternoon and weekends are often taken up with holiday preparations. Early November is a beautiful time of year here in north Alabama and leaves are at their peak of color. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Plants of Interest

asters
camellia sasanqua "Bonanza"
chrysanthemum
clematis "jackmanii"
marigolds
ornamental grasses
pansy
pyracantha
Rosa "Buff Beauty"
Rosa "Don Juan"
Rosa "Felicia"
Rosa "FJ Grootendorst"
Rosa "Lamarque"
Rosa "La Marne"
Rosa "Lyric"
Rosa "Mrs. B.R. Cant"
Rosa "Nearly Wild"
Rosa "New Dawn"
Rosa "Scarlet Meidilland"
salvia

 

What to Plant

minor bulbs - A good time to plant anemone, hyacinth, dutch iris, liatris, rain lily, lilies, red hot poker, scilla, snowdrops.
daffodils - Although late October is the optimal time to plant, it is still not too late!
seeds - Poppies (California, Shirley), alyssum, cornflower, snapdragon, calendula.
shrubs & trees - Since we generally do not have hard freezes, now through late January is an excellent time to plant shrubs and trees because the roots will have plenty of time to develop before the stressful heat of next summer. Fall can be dry so be sure to keep new plants watered.

 

Chores

raking leaves - Okay, I admit it - I don't do that much leaf raking. Since I have few grassy areas, I'm happy to let the leaves fall on my beds because they make an excellent mulch and break down to provide nutrients. In fact, I usually keep my eye out for any bagged leaves in the neighborhood and swoop them up to use in my garden. It is a good idea, however, to rake leaves off your grass because wet leaves can cause a dense mat that can suffocate the grass. Keep the leaves and shred them if you are lucky enough to own a leaf shredder and use them for mulch or put them on your compost heap.

watering - Keep in mind that this is often a dry time of year and don't forget to water plants, especially newly planted ones. The transition to cooler temperatures causes us to forget about watering and this can often be fatal to our plants. Water your garden weekly if there has been no significant rainfall.