November gardening jobs

Summer’s just around the corner! Get your garden ready for warm-weather entertaining with these essential tasks.

Boost summer colour

There’s a stunning list of flowering plants that can add colour over the coming summer. Top possibilities include natives such as Xerochrysum spp., fan-flower (Scaevola spp.) and Dampiera spp. Then there are the classic favourites, including geraniums, such as the pink-flowered Pelargonium spp., marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias, hollyhocks, nasturtiums and cosmos. Most of these will flourish in full sun or light shade. Impatiens, wishbone flower (Torenia fournieri) and begonias are good for shaded spots. Planting into good soil or potting mix. Regular liquid feeding and deadheading will keep the flowers coming.

Be ready for summer storms

Now‘s the time to prepare for turbulent summer weather. Secure garden furniture and other objects that could become missiles. Inspect established trees and arrange for dangerous limbs to be removed. Clear gutters and drains. Make sure water can get away easily during a downpour, and consider constructing swales (wide, shallow channels that slow water) and surface culverts to divert excess water.

Late spring pruning

It’s time to get your secateurs, pruning saw and hedging shears out of the shed to give the garden a late spring tidy up. One important job is to prune climbing roses and heritage varieties that only bloom this season, as soon as they have finished flowering. Give well-established spring-blooming shrubs such as Spiraea spp., Deutzia spp. and Philadelphus spp. an overall trim before removing some of the old shoots completely at the base. This will encourage vigorous new shoots. Tidy jasmine, wisteria, wonga-wonga vine (Pandorea pandorana) and any other climbers that had a winter/spring flush of blooms. Remove any dead branches or frost-damaged sections. Once you’ve finished pruning, fertilise everything, water well and mulch.