postcard from the garden

goings on and things to get done in my zone 9b garden this November

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November has been quite good to my garden. If I’m being honest, I have not been able to spend as much time as I would like to in the garden this month. Motherhood and life in general has made me less present here this month, and beautifully, the garden continued without me and has been blessing us with fresh produce even in the face of neglect. The one bigger thing I really did this month in the garden was to plant my bulbs. I received them in the mail this month and I have been tucking them in all over the yard, a little gift to my future self in spring. Bulbs take almost no care and bring so much joy, and they are much less expensive than buying cut flowers in spring. I plant extra to be able to cut and bring inside, and to gift to others. Here are a few other goings-on this month in my California garden.

Order bare root roses and other spring planted things- like rhubarb crowns, asparagus, dahlias. Now is the time to think of spring, I know it’s counter intuitive as we settle down for winter, but ordering now means everything is ready for you as soon as the ground is. I order most of my roses from David Austin, and I always order bare root.

Keep on top of any weeds/mulch areas that need it- the recent rains have meant they are popping up everywhere. I use mulch/ the no-dig method which means I have much less to do, but there are still always some that pop up and it’s so much better to get them while they’re small than to forget and let them go to seed. Whenever I’m outside and spot one, I just take a moment to pull it. I am continuing to add mulch in areas where it’s thinned out or it needs to be deeper for winter.

Plant mâche- mâche is a little winter green that is tender, yet cold and frost hardy. I planted this one. It’s a welcome addition to winter salads. I’m sowing mine in between my dormant strawberry plants to save space and make use of that area in winter. Here’s a little link with a way to plant indoor greens for winter, too, if you can’t plant outdoors.

Leaving leaves wherever possible/making leaf mould- whenever possible, leave fallen leaves on the ground. They make a natural mulch and provide much needed cover for animals and insects over winter, and it is also less work for you. I gather the ones that fall on our lawn/cement areas and make a big batch of leaf mould for enriching the garden soil.

Remove and compost remaining summer plants- I still had some peppers, basil, and cosmos in the garden- I’ve now removed those and chopped up for the compost. I always cut the plants at or just below soil level with a sharp garden knife so that the soil isn’t disturbed and the roots and decompose underground and enrich the soil. One of the pepper plants I’ve trialed a new method with- chopping 6 inches above ground and leaving the stump to ostensibly overwinter and grow next year.

roses still blooming here and there; tangerines ripening

Harvest tangerines- our tangerine tree is glowing with bright orange fruit. We have been eating them daily, incorporating them into our meals, bakes, and drinks. I also always juice some and freeze to enjoy later in the spring/summer when citrus is no longer available.

Finish planting bulbs- I still have a few daffodils to plant and some narcissus which I divided last year to replant. Also forcing some bulbs for inside; using a shallow dish and some stones and water. Narcissus generally bloom in 4-5 weeks, amaryllis take 7-10 weeks.

I hope this November has been good to your garden, as well. I’m curious to know what you’re harvesting, planting or dreaming about… let me know below along with your zone.

Happy gardening

x A