We start the month by huddling together under a night sky to witness the crackle of a bonfire and gasp in wonder as the sky explodes into colour with ascending fireworks. This is the start of winter, and for many, a cosy time. Woolly jumpers are donned and delicious meals are proudly made from allotment-grown vegetables. However, for others, this can be a season of despair.
Shorter days, longer nights and low temperatures can bring the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. A recognised medical condition, it can create a detrimental effect on our mood and outlook, draining us of energy, appetite and hope. Therefore, it’s vital to find positive ways to cope.
A healthy diet, regular exercise and talking about how you feel are great tools to have in your arsenal. But did you know that your garden can be an important healer too? It’s no secret that being outside and closer to nature can make us feel happier. Also, physical work in your garden gets the brain neurons firing, muscles moving and blood pumping, all triggers that help keep the mind and body healthy.
So, for a season of well-being, here are a few suggestions that will fill your green spaces with scent and colour and help keep the winter blues at bay.
Online and local garden nurseries will now be stocked with the delicate colours of violas, primroses and polyanthus. Easy to look after, just remember not to overwater and deadhead regularly, as this will ensure new blooms continue right through the season.
Another nursery favourite is the delicate cyclamen. Hardy varieties, such as cyclamen hederifolium and cyclamen coum, are unfazed by the cold weather and can flower right through to spring. Plant them in well-drained soil and give them a little shade. They look wonderful at the front of borders, under tree canopies or planted in pots and hanging baskets.
With the festive season just around the corner, why not consider a Christmas rose. An evergreen hellebore, it has a long flowering period and offers white, pink, yellow, or purplish-black blooms. Although it does well in most soils, it prefers a little shade. As the flowers emerge, cut away the foliage for maximum floral impact.
If it’s fire you’re after, try the richly coloured stems of cornus, also known as Dogwood. Planted at the back of borders, they will set grey areas alight with their vibrant branches of red, orange, yellow and green.
Bulbs are rewarding and easy plants to care for. They can fill pots, flower beds and rockeries with colour and interest. From the simple crocus to the beautiful snowdrop, their blooms will shine brightly on the darkest of days.
Smell is another sense that can help lighten your mood, so consider scented plants. Train a winter honeysuckle over your front or back door. Grow in full sun or part shade; its flowers hold a sweet fragrance that will bloom right through until early spring.
Then there’s plant mahonia, grown either in a pot or border. Its tightly packed flowers have a rich perfume similar to lily of the valley. Another scented favourite is the shade-loving sarcococca (Sweet Box). Its tiny blooms pack a scented punch.
By planting close to the house, you can enjoy a hit of colour and floral fragrance as you step outside into the cold. Plant colourful blooms alongside garden paths, in containers and hanging baskets. Keep them on the patio, in a window box or hanging outside your door. If the winter weather forces you inside, you’ll still be able to enjoy their displays from the warmth of your home.
Get November off to a bang by creating colour that will warm your hearts and keep the fires burning until spring.
Gardening jobs for November
From now until March is the dormant season, so it’s an ideal time to plant bare root trees, shrubs and roses. Not only are they cheaper to buy compared to pot-grown varieties, but there’s often more choice. Try to plant on a sunny, frost-free day. Place your bare root plant into a bucket of water for up to an hour to rehydrate. Ensure the growing area is free of weeds and large stones. Dig the hole at least twice the size of the plant’s roots and about twelve inches in depth (length of a spade’s blade). When planting, ensure you use plenty of well-rotted manure mixed into the soil. Depending on the plant, you may need to consider support, such as a stake, trellis or structure. Ensure this is in place before you backfill, firm in well, water and tie the plant to its support structure. Finally, add a layer of mulch around the base of the plant, as this will retain moisture and protect the roots throughout winter.
Brassicas will be looking increasingly attractive to pigeons and pests. Therefore, by netting your greens it will not only deter pests, but can also protect them from the winter weather. As they grow taller, shore them up to prevent wind rock.
There are plenty of fallen leaves to clear away, but don’t get rid of them. Create a pen with chicken wire and four wooden stakes. Then place the collected leaves within the wired square and leave for up to twelve months. This will breakdown into a rich mulch, which can then be used for your garden. If you don’t have the space for a pen, either an old plastic bin or garden bags will do. Create several holes, so moisture can drain away and the airflow will help the bacteria breakdown the leaf matter. Store them out of the way, so they won’t be disturbed.
Maintenance work should now be carried out on all garden tools. From secateurs to shears, your tools could do with cleaning and sharpening after a season of use. Lawn mowers, and other unused petrol garden tools, should be cleaned, checked and drained of fuel. Clean and store pots and seed trays and sweep through greenhouses and sheds. As this is a wet time of year, clear gutters of leaves and ensure all water butts are in good working order.
Outside stone and terracotta pots should be raised off the ground with clay feet or bricks. Not only will this help drain excess water but leaving them on the ground can result in frost causing them to crack. For extra protection, wrap them up with fleece or bubble wrap.
Hedgehogs will shortly be looking to hibernate; therefore, they will need all the food they can get. Despite what you might think, never feed them milk or bread, as this can make them ill. Instead, leave out hog food (bought from pet shops and garden nurseries) and a bowl of fresh water.
