Containers get too hot and dry in summer and conversely they get colder than a surrounding garden in winter because a greater area is exposed to the elements.
Plants in containers therefore need special attention in cold winters and may well have to be protected, however warm the microclimate of the individual patio, windowsill or roof garden. Roof gardens are particularly affected for being open to the elements they are more likely to be buffeted by wind and storms.
Often, due to lack of time, or fine day in October, we don’t clean the garden before November. Keep your garden looking beautiful well into the fall season by trimming hedges, weeding and “dead heading” flowers no longer in bloom. From the garden bring out the stakes and rope that served as the underpinnings of certain types of plants. Clean the stakes and keep them to use next year. Plants destroyed by the frosts, we also should removed from the ground, chop and compost or plow. If these plants remain in the area, pose a threat as a potential source of disease and pests. Do not bother to clean up leaves until all of them have fallen. To rake leaves most effectively, start at the outer corner of your garden and either rake straight lines or rake from the outer corner inwards. If you have space, then keep the leaves to make compost. They are great for compost.
Winter is around the corner and your garden needs some pampering to help it through the cold and stormy months ahead and get it in good shape for next spring. A November gardening calendar really highlights the differences in regional gardens. For many there is no November garden to speak of. But even if your garden is already covered in snow, there are still garden tasks calling. Unfortunately insect pests are much hardier than their tiny size would suggest.
Here are a few gardening tasks and projects that you can do this month to help keep your garden looking it’s best for the rest of this season, and prepare for the long cold winter and upcoming spring.
