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Garden jobs for November

Keep your garden looking its best with Matt James' advice

Prepare your garden for the winter months ahead with Matt James’ selection of projects to tackle:

  • Clear up fallen leaves, especially those in and around lawns and ponds.
  • Start planting tulips.
  • Continue dividing congested perennials: dig up, split into fist-sized clumps, and replant to the same depth with as much root as possible.
  • Plant bare-root trees, shrubs and roses. Trees over one metre will need staking for support, especially in exposed locations.
  • Finish planting tubs and baskets with evergreen perennials, ornamental grasses, winter pansies and polyanthus.
  • Use special pot feet or bricks to raise containers off the ground for drainage, and to prevent cracking in severe frosts.
  • Cover wooden garden furniture to protect it from winter weather.
  • Prune back long shoots on tall bush roses by a third to stop strong winds rocking them.
  • Clean out bird boxes and put out fresh water and food.
  • Take 25cm long hardwood cuttings of red and white currants, blackcurrants and gooseberries.
  • It’s the last chance to create new lawns from turf; choose a dry day when the soil’s not frozen or waterlogged.
  • Check houseplants aren’t drying out from central heating. Move them to a bright but cooler spot and keep the compost moist.
  • Dig over the veggie patch; leave soil in large clumps and let the weather break it down into a crumbly finish.

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