What to do in your garden - November 2019
Publish Date: 31 October 2019
Now that the clocks have gone back and the days are shorter, we really are on the countdown to Christmas. November is the month to prepare your garden for winter by clearing up fallen leaves and protecting tender plants against the cold. Here are other tasks you can be getting on with when weather permits:
- Cyclamen: available in a range of colours from pure white through pinks and purples to bright red, plus Indiaka® varieties (bi-coloured flowers in varying shades of pink with white). Keep in cool conditions around 10-15 °C in bright light but not direct sunlight. Don’t over water – soil should be slightly moist. Water carefully from underneath and tip away any excess in the saucer after half an hour. Feed with liquid fertiliser monthly and remove faded flowers by twisting off the stem at the base. In the right conditions, cyclamen will flower for several months. These cyclamen varieties (Cyclamen persicum) are not hardy. The true hardy garden types for growing under deciduous trees are Cyclamen hederifolium (autumn flowering) and Cyclamen coum (spring)
- Azalea: indoor azaleas (Rhododendron simsii) are not the same as the hardy ones grown outdoors. Azaleas need a cool light position and can cope with being on a windowsill during winter. Do not let the compost dry out, and water by submersing the pot in a bucket of water until saturated, then allow to drain. Plants can be hardened off to grow outdoors in a cool, shady place during summer, but must be brought back indoors before frosts
- Skimmia is one of the best evergreens for all year-round interest – every garden should have a couple –skimmia is one of the best small evergreen shrubs which has attractive flower buds held over autumn and winter – it can withstand most soil conditions and ideal for any garden border or containers. It prefers partial shade, as it is a woodland plant, but will cope with full sun, as long as soil conditions are not too dry. Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants, so both plants are needed (planted nearby each other) to cross pollinate in order for the female plant to produce berries. However, some varieties are hermaphrodite which means they are self-fertile and will therefore not need a partner! An example of this is Skimmia japonica subsp.reevesiana. Skimmias flower around April and attract pollinating insects. Some are species are strongly scented: Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ is male, as is Skimmia x confusa ‘Kew Green’, whereas Skimmia japonica ‘Pabella’ and Skimmia japonica ‘Veitchii’ (also known as Skimmia ‘Foremanii’) are both female varieties which will produce red berries.
- Plant the bulb into a pot just slightly larger than the bulb itself, using multipurpose compost or John Innes No.2
- The top two thirds of the bulb must be above the soil surface
- Put in a warm and bright place ideal temperature 21°C
- Carefully give a little water until the new leaves start to shoot from the bulb, when watering can be increased
- Avoid overwatering and tip away any excess water that stays in the saucer
- To prevent the flower stalk leaning towards the light, turn the pot regularly
- When your Hippeastrum is in flower, move it to a cooler place to ensure the best flowering