What to do in garden in November?

What to do in garden in November? Let’s focus on two things (there are many more, but these are both fun!).

First, enjoy what’s left blooming in your garden. Here in Northern California, we still have lots of blooms left, from alstroemerias, to dahlias, to zinnias. You’ve worked all year planting, fertilizing, staking, trimming, and dead-heading, so wander around in your garden, and enjoy the late-blooming beauty that is left. If you’re like me and didn’t complete all the trimming and dead-heading, you must look harder, behind or under every plant in your garden, because they may be hiding fresh blooms.

I just harvested this dahlia on November 7. It is 10 ½ inches in diameter.

And there are enough dahlias left for displays

And here is an arrangement assembled from blooms left in November: salvia leucantha (Mexican salvia), aster, various colors of benary giant zinnias, back-eyed Susan seeds for contrast (rudbeckia fulgida, and sedum autumn joy.

OK, enough fun, now to some work. What will you plant in your winter vegetable garden? I’m preparing my raised beds by getting rid of earlier plants and tomato vines, and adding some earthworm castings. I’m thinking about planting snow peas, sugar snap peas, broccoli, kale, beets, onions, and a variety of greens, including lettuces, spinach, arugula, and cilantro. For now, think about what you will plant and finish the clean-out of your garden and prep for the new plants. In the next blog we’ll show my final plantings and discuss the winter vege garden at more length.