What to sow and grow in November

Sow hellebores this month
Image: Hellebore x hybridus 'Mixed' from Thompson & Morgan

Things are slowing down in the garden come November. Milder areas see their first frost and the days are shortening rapidly. There’s still lots to do in the garden this month, and there are plenty of flowers, vegetables, and fruits that can be sown and planted now for a spring harvest or to crop through winter. 

Here are our top picks of seasonal things to sow and grow in the garden this month:

Flowers to sow and grow

Start lupins indoors for beautiful displays for years to come
Image: Lupin 'The Governor' from Thompson & Morgan

In the greenhouse/indoors

• Sow sweet pea seeds in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame for an early display next year.
• Try growing perennials such as laurentia, delphinium hybridum 'Pacific Giants Mixed', verbascum seeds, foxglove 'Excelsior Hybrid Mixed' and lupins from seed in the greenhouse this month.

Plant outdoors

Plant daffodil bulbs in preparation for spring
Image: Narcissus 'Sweet Aroma Mixed' from Thompson & Morgan

• Plant spring flowering bulbs, such as tulip bulbs, this month. Consider investing in a bulb planter to speed up the process and to effectively cut through turf so you can easily naturalise bulbs into grassed areas of your garden.
• Plant daffodil bulbs this month for spring flowering displays. Try dwarf bulbs, like 'Miniatures Mixed' in containers and huge yellow 'Trelawney Gold' trumpets outside in the border.
• Plant Christmas roses (hellebores) in the border now for beautiful winter flowers. Try a double variety like 'Double Mixed' for larger blooms or a delicate single flowered variety like Hellebore argutifolius for the lime green blossoms.
• Plant up a terracotta pot of hyacinth bulbs for a highly scented and colourful display next spring.
• Plant a magnolia tree early in the month. Choose either a spring or summer flowering variety in pink, yellow, white or deep purple.
• Plant bare-root roses anytime between now and March. This is a great time to plant a native dog rose hedge or for any planned en masse rose planting.
• Plant heather, grass plants, pansy plants, violas, primulas, and trailing ivy in decorative pots for winter colour.
• It's not too late to plant out garden-ready winter flowering annuals, such as Pansy 'Matrix ™ Mixed'.
• Now's the perfect time to plant hedging! With plenty of different varieties to try out, browse our collections of bare-root colourful hedging, fast growing hedging, slow growing hedging, and tall hedging to find the perfect hedging solution for your garden.

Herbs & vegetables to sow and grow

Sow hardy pea varieties to bulk out your first harvest of the new year
Image: Pea 'Meteor' (First Early) seeds from Thompson & Morgan

In the greenhouse/indoors

• Sow pots of herb seeds in a heated greenhouse or on a bright windowsill indoors. Try British basil, dill, chives, and parsley.

In the cold frame/under cloches

• Sow spring onion 'Performer' and pak choi seeds outdoors in rows under cloches.
• Sow winter salads in a greenhouse or outdoors under cloches. Choose types that don't require extra heat like lettuce 'Winter Gem', winter land cress, purslane, and corn salad. 
• Choose a fast growing ‘cut and come again’ leaf like 'Speedy' for growing and cropping indoors on the windowsill.

Direct sow outdoors

• Sow hardy broad bean 'Aquadulce Claudia' outdoors in rows for extra early harvests in spring.
• Sow pea 'Meteor' outdoors for an early crop next year.

Plant outdoors

• Plant autumn planting onion, shallot and garlic sets. For something different this year, plant the massive elephant garlic. These huge bulbs have a very mild flavour and are perfect for roasting.
• Plant asparagus crowns now. Growing these expensive spears yourself will save you money and produce a crop with superior flavour.
• Plant out spring cabbage plants at the beginning of the month.

Fruit to sow and grow

Put in a support system for raspberry canes before planting
Image: Raspberry 'Autumn Bliss' (Autumn fruiting) from Thompson & Morgan

Plant outdoors

• Plant rhubarb crowns now in well-prepared soil. Add plenty of organic matter, they are hungry feeders!
• Plant out strawberry plants and runners in freshly turned beds.
• Plant raspberry plants and blackberries now. Remember to construct a support system before planting. 
• Plant bare root gooseberry 'Xenia' and red, white, and black currant plants now for varied sweet harvests next season.
• Plant blueberry plants this month. Blueberries prefer a slightly acidic soil, but do very well in patio containers with ericaceous compost if your garden soil is not acidic.

Keep one step ahead — what to order this month

Order geranium seeds now for December sowing
Image: Geranium 'Border Supreme' F2 Hybrid from Thompson & Morgan

• Order geranium seeds to sow in the greenhouse between December and March.
• Buy bare root blackcurrants ready to go out next month.