November jobs

As the growing  slows down in the garden, there's still plenty of work to be done. One job which I love to do at this time of year is to clean out the shed. (Yes really!)   That's what I did at the weekend when it was too damp to do much else in the garden or allotment.

I moved out all the big tools, like the mower, shredder and hedge trimmer and gave the floor a good sweep.  I tidied and swept the dust from the shelves and the workbench.  Everything got shuffled around and reorganised. There are always a lot of cobwebs and big spiders, that's the scary bit, but I managed to evict one or two.  I know they will return though.  I'm always a bit wary of what I might find under the workbench. I once found some gardening gloves and knee pads which had been chewed at by mice. Finally I cleaned the floor and bench with Jeyes Fluid. It now smells really clean and looks much tidier

Another job I did was to sweep up the fallen leaves. There are lots and I quite enjoy the clearing up.  It's a job which continues throughout the winter.   They are all over the drive and paths and this is the main area for clearing as they can get very slippy.  I don't worry too much about them collecting on the borders, they can act as a mulch if I don't have time to clear them up. They are all put into the leaf mould bin to make lovely compost.


Other jobs I will be doing this month are:

In the garden

• Cut back in the flower borders as foliage gets untidy. I leave attractive seedheads for winter interest and wildlife
• Trim the lavender. I think I should have done this some time ago
• Lift and store the dahlias
• Bring pots of tender perennials into the front porch or cover with fleece to protect. I often forget to do this and then lose plants
• Sow winter salad leaves in the cold frame and micro leaves on the kitchen windowsill
• Half prune the roses so they don't get blown about too much by strong winds
• Clear up all the summer bedding containers and plant up with autumn and winter arrangements

At the allotment

• Move the fruit bushes from our old allotment to the new one (blackcurrants, gooseberries and raspberries)
• Spread manure on the raised beds to rot down over the winter
• Sweep up leaves and bag up.  (We haven't made a leaf mould bin yet, or even decided where we will put one)
• Harvest cabbages from the old allotment and tidy the beds ready for the new tenants 
• Plant daffodil bulbs in the wildlife area

I'll be amazed if I get all those jobs done!