We’re in the last week of November and I’m finally back in the garden for a short catch‑up. The second half of October and most of November were dominated by illnesses at home, so the garden has been a bit neglected. In this update I’m showing what’s still going on in the borders, what needs clearing in the kitchen garden, and a big change: I’ve been allocated an allotment plot!
I’ve been on the waiting list for over a year, and the allocation came through at the very end of October. I finally managed a couple of quick visits, including one in the rain — which was actually helpful.
The big thing I learned straight away is that the access path by my plot can get waterlogged in winter. It’s not a deal‑breaker, but it will influence where I put the entrance and how I plan the layout.
There’s a designated shed base area (up to 6×4 ft), and the plot itself is roughly 104 m² — not huge, but a very manageable size for me to tackle and grow into over time.
This part of the garden really needs a proper reset: weeding, tidying, and clearing old summer crops. I’m very tempted to clear everything, mulch it well, and let the beds rest for the remainder of the season.
I also spotted the garlic covered in blackfly/aphids (likely dropping over from the beans). I’ll try a strong spray of water to knock them off and then deal with the weeds popping through.
The main job I tackled was trimming back the big verbena plants. Verbena is brilliant for pollinators near the veg beds, but it needs space — otherwise it flops and squashes everything around it (lesson learned!).
I’m planning to dig up several verbena plants and move them to the allotment so nothing goes to waste. I also mention shifting raspberries out of this bed — they’re spreading everywhere.
Even after several frosty nights (and a bit of snow), a couple of plants are still going: one of the borders is still giving flowers, and I was genuinely surprised to see a Supertunia ‘Bubblegum’ looking green and alive.
Because Supertunias are usually propagated from cuttings, I’m tempted to try taking a few and overwintering them to grow new plants for next season. If it works, it could save a bit of money on plug plants.
Normally I lift and store dahlia tubers frost‑free, but this year I wasn’t well enough to do the full routine. I moved the pots into the shed and wrapped them up, and I’ve left a couple of border dahlias in the ground — we’ll see how they cope.