November Garden Tour 2025 - Late Autumn Update
We are in the last week of November and I am 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 am showing what is still going on in the borders, what needs clearing in the kitchen garden, and a big change: I have been allocated an allotment plot!
What is in this video
- A quick life update - why I have not been in the garden much lately and why autumn/winter can be tough in our house.
- Pepper harvest in the shed - a surprisingly great crop with only morning-to-midday sun - definitely repeating next year.
- Allotment plot allocated! - a first look at my new blank-canvas plot (about 104 m2) and what I noticed in the rain.
- Kitchen garden tidy-up - cucumbers and beans cleared, pots to empty, and decisions about late beetroots and parsnips.
- Garlic covered in blackfly/aphids - my plan to try washing them off and tackling weeds that are coming through.
- Moving day for plants - Welsh onions, rhubarb and raspberries are heading to the allotment for more space.
- Border rescue: verbena - cutting back and preparing to dig up several established verbena plants to rehome.
- What is still flowering after frost - a few surprisingly tough plants still showing colour at the end of November.
Allotment update
I have 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 is not a deal-breaker, but it will influence where I put the entrance and how I plan the layout.
There is a designated shed base area (up to 6x4 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.
Kitchen garden: clear, mulch, rest
This part of the garden really needs a proper reset: weeding, tidying, and clearing old summer crops. I am 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 will try a strong spray of water to knock them off and then deal with the weeds popping through.
Borders: cutting back and making space
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 am 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 are spreading everywhere.
Surprising survivors
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 am 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.
Dahlias: overwintering reality check
Normally I lift and store dahlia tubers frost-free, but this year I was not well enough to do the full routine. I moved the pots into the shed and wrapped them up, and I have left a couple of border dahlias in the ground - we will see how they cope.
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