Moving Through November

It’s a busy month. Today is Election Day so I hope you’ve done your duty and voted. There’s still plenty to get done in the garden. I planted about 500 bulbs this past weekend. A bigger amount goes in this coming weekend. The vision of taking it a bit easy next week is keeping me very motivated to get the job done. And then there’s Thanksgiving to round up the month. Order that fresh, organic turkey before they run out!

With December in mind, Amaryllis bulbs have been set up all over the house. Simply watching them grow in the days leading up to the festivities is a thrill. The large trumpeted flowers shout holiday cheer. In recent years, I’ve taken to purchasing wax coated amaryllis. They can be placed as is on a pretty saucer and will grow and bloom with no assistance whatsoever. No potting up or watering required. When they have finished flowering, I peel off the wax to discard. The spent bulb is tossed onto the compost pile.

For years I’d grow the (sans wax) amaryllis in pots. And keep them after flowering. The old bulbs would flower again not at the holidays but in the spring after – that’s a year and a half later. That was okay as they still looked beautiful. A couple of years ago, I realized I had a huge collection and it was ridiculous to keep adding to this collection. It was getting very crowded and cluttered and I was looking to simplify my spaces. The waxed bulbs are a game changer. I treat them as one would a bouquet of flowers. Enjoy them and then compost them. And truth be told, they last longer than most fresh flowers and are far less expensive.

Things To Do In November

1. First and foremost, put away all Halloween decorations. Set up Thanksgiving display – gourds, pumpkins, ornamental kale and cabbages, chrysanthemums and asters.

2. Having cut back plants and cleared debris, mulch all plant beds.

3. Hurry up and finish all pending tasks from last month!

4. Finish planting spring flowering bulbs.

5. Protect pots to be left outdoors, vulnerable plants such as boxwood, certain roses, and garden statuary.

6. Install and fill bird feeders. Remember once you’ve started, do not forget to refill the feeders regularly all through winter.

7. Be prepared for snow and ice. Keep snow shovels, grit or sand, firewood stocked and handy.

8. In case of power outage, have candles, flashlights, matches and batteries on the ready. A manually cranked or battery operated radio too. One year we lost power for a week and were trapped in the house because of fallen trees and live wires on the road – the radio was all we had to keep us updated on what was happening in the world.

9. Finish raking leaves. Use them to mulch beds and enrich the soil.

10. Clean and store tools. Get appropriate ones sharpened.

11. Start setting aside seed and plant catalogs. Soon you will be planning for next year!

12. While the weather is still pleasantly mild, keep on weed watch!

13. In the greenhouse, be sure the heater is doing its job. Ventilation is also important to keep plants healthy.

14. Start a routine for regular watering of plants indoors. Keep vigil for early signs of pests or disease.

15. Start growing amaryllis and paperwhites for seasonal cheer. Similarly, put bulbs such as hyacinths, muscari , crocus and tulips in for cooling. (I use my refrigerator). In about fourteen to eighteen weeks, you can start forcing them and pretend it is spring!

16. Enjoy a beautiful Thanksgiving.

Enjoy the Halloween Dog Parade held in my town this past Saturday!