The Garden House Tasks for November
Posted:25 November 2025
Please bear in mind these tasks are not a comprehensive look at all garden aspects, but relate directly to our monthly work in the Garden House garden, inspiring and teaching the volunteers, students and Friday group gardeners who get stuck in and support the development of this unique Brighton garden.
* Sow sweet peas – we use root trainers and this year we are going to experiment with a sowing in November, then January and then March to see if we can get a longer flowering period
* Move hardy annuals into a cold frame for the winter once they have been pricked out – this slows them down and they are then able to produce a good root system over winter before being planted out in March
* It’s bulb planting time and our N. Paperwhites have been put in bowls, glass jars and any other attractive receptacles – they can be grown in pebbles, grit or bark chippings and kept in a cool place – they will flower in 6 – 7 weeks. Bring them into a warm room for a few days to encourage flowering – we stake ours with birch twigs and add cones and moss
* Plant forced Hyacinths in forcers or bowls, and keep in a cool dark place for 8 -10 weeks until you see 5cm shoots, then bring them into a warm room to flower in January or February
* Plant outdoor bulbs in pots and the ground – you can plant tulips from now until early January – they appreciate a cold period and it helps to prevent tulip fire. We will be planting bulb lasagne – tulips at the bottom, followed by Narcissi, Crocus or Iris reticulata for a long season of interest. We will scatter rose prunings tover the top to limit squirrel damage, and pot toppers such as Mysotis, Chervil and Wallflowers also seem to deter squirrels
* Cut back and tidy borders but leave things that are useful over-wintering insects. We focus on cutting down anything that looks unsightly, eg. Asters, and keep things like Hylotelephiums and plants with a good structure
* Prune rambler and climbing roses – ramblers flower on old wood and climbers on new, (mostly!). Climbers: cut side shoots back to two or three buds and tie in any shoots. Ramblers: remove some of the older stems so new stems will emerge from the base
* Protect semi-tender plants with fleece during cold snaps and use a max/min thermometer for keeping an eye on the temperature in the greenhouse
* We are going to leave our Dahlias in the ground this year and mulch over them, then make a no-dig tulip bed by scattering tulips on the bed and then covering with mulch and a wire cage to keep off the squirrels – this is an experiment so watch this space!
* Divide perennials that flower before midsummer’s day – Peonies, Pulmonarias, Papaver orientalis and anything that flowers after midsummer wait until spring
* There is still time to take cuttings from tender perennials. Salvias, for example, are flowering very late this year and some have only just produced side shoots for cutting material
* Now is a good time to plant bare root roses and they are cheaper than ones grown in pots and will establish much better
* Sow lambs lettuce, chervil, hardy salad leaves and pea shoots in gutters or boxes to keep you going over the winter – also try some micro greens with left over seeds just scattered on some woollen packaging
* Keep a watch on your Pelargoniums and make sure there is plenty of air circulation in your greenhouse and that they are kept dry
And finally, continue to rake up the last of the leaves, bag them up and tuck away somewhere – think of all that leaf mould for next year!