November Gardening Guide: What to Plant for a Thriving Garden

November is a fantastic month for gardeners in the UK, offering an opportunity to get a head start on the gardening year ahead. By sowing or planting in November, you can move up your flower and vegetable harvest times and make the most of your garden space. This early planting also eases the pressure on spring sowing, allowing you to focus on what you love without the rush. Let’s explore what you can sow or plant in November to ensure a flourishing garden..

Planting Bare-Root Fruit Trees

November is the perfect time to plant bare-root fruit trees. While these trees are dormant when planted, they’ll have the entire season to grow once temperatures rise in the spring. You can consider apple, pear, cherry, and plum trees, as well as blackcurrant, raspberry, and gooseberry bushes.

Vegetables for November

Broad Beans: You can sow broad beans either directly in the ground or in pots for later transplantation. Sowing them in November can advance your harvest and help maintain soil structure during autumn rains.
Salad Leaves: Varieties like mizuna, mustard, and spinach can be easily grown. Try sowing them indoors on a sunny windowsill for winter pickings or cultivate them in a greenhouse.
Spring Onion ‘Performer’: Hardy varieties like ‘Performer’ can be sown in the autumn for winter and spring harvests. Growing them in pots provides added protection, making them suitable for greenhouse or cloche cultivation.
First Early Peas: Sow first early peas like ‘Meteor’ and ‘Kelvedon Wonder’ in autumn to enjoy early spring harvests. Protect them from slugs, birds, and mice by cultivating them in covered containers.
Chillies: Varieties such as ‘Apache’ and ‘Medusa’ can be sown at any time of the year. For November, ensure they receive warmth and ample sunlight, as the days are shorter.

You can also consider planting pak choi, garlic, onions, shallots, and asparagus crowns in November.

November Flowers

Eryngiums: These bee-friendly perennials require a cold period for germination. Sow the seeds in pots, trays, or modules, and place them in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame over winter. They will germinate in spring.
Bugle (Ajuga reptans): A fantastic native ground-cover plant, Bugle is perfect for sunny or partially shaded areas. You can also experiment with the showier native Ajuga genevensis, which spreads less rapidly.
Corydalis solida: Another UK native, Corydalis solida, thrives in cool, moist spots in dappled or partial shade. Fresh foliage emerges in spring, followed by colorful blooms ranging from purple to white.
Sweet Peas: Sweet peas can be sown in autumn for earlier flowering compared to their spring-sown counterparts.
Allium sphaerocephalon: These striking alliums are loved by pollinators. While they are usually grown from bulbs, you can grow them from seed. Sow them anytime, preferably in containers, as they require a long germination period and cold conditions to sprout successfully.

Eryngiums November Planting — Photo by David Brown

Additional flowers to consider planting in November include various spring bulbs (daffodils and tulips), hellebores, bare-root roses, and pansies.

Fruit for November

Apples and Pears: Bare-root apple and pear trees can be planted now, along with container-grown trees. Choose the right rootstock for the type of tree you want to grow.
Cherries and Plums: Numerous cherry and plum varieties are available as bare-root options. Ensure you check the rootstock before planting to make the right choice.
Blackcurrants and Gooseberries: You can find various options for blackcurrants and gooseberries as bare-root plants. Plant them in November, and they’ll start growing as temperatures rise in spring.
Raspberries: Raspberries are best planted in autumn. Choose from a variety of cultivars and plant them in well-prepared soil in full sun to partial shade.