Blossoming delights this November: discover the vibrant blooms gracing your garden this month
Gardening in November: A Guide to Colour and Wildlife-Friendly Plants
November is a vibrant month in the garden, offering a chance to enjoy colourful plants and support wildlife. Here are some recommendations for plants that will thrive during this period.
Plectranthus argentatus is a striking plant with blue spikes that stand out against its silver-grey leaves, making it an ideal choice for a hot border. Reaching a height of 80cm, this Australian native prefers moist but well-drained soil and part shade. It is hardy to RHS H1C and offers interest from spring to early winter.
Clematis 'Polish Spirit' is another great option, boasting medium-sized, dark-violet flowers that contrast nicely with its fresh-green leaves. This hybrid plant can grow up to 3m tall and thrives in moist but well-drained soil, full sun to part shade. It is hardy to RHS H6 and provides interest from late summer to autumn.
Miscanthus nepalensis is a grass species that reaches a height of around 1.5m and offers elegance in its plumes during November.
Abelia x grandiflora provides structure and soft-pink flowers from early summer to late autumn. This garden hybrid between A. chinensis and A. uniflora grows to a height of 2.5-4m and prefers fertile, moist but well-drained soil and sun. It is hardy to RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b, and offers interest from flowering in early summer into late autumn.
Colletia paradoxa has small, white flowers with a sweet scent in late autumn and winter, and modified triangular stems that appear as leaves.
Nepeta kubanica is a Russian gem with large, purple-blue flowers that rise beautifully above its large, fresh-green leaves, giving it a transparent feel. It grows to a height of 80cm and prefers well-drained soil and full sun. It is hardy to RHS H7 and offers interest from summer to autumn.
Acaena microphylla 'Kupferteppich' is a plant with copper-colored foliage that stands out in autumn and winter.
Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina' has soft-yellow flowers that appear on scrambling stems in late autumn and winter.
Euonymus hamiltonianus subsp. sieboldianus 'Coral Charm' is a deciduous tree-like Euonymus with coral-pink fruits with orange-red seeds that persist well into winter.
Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai' is a compact cherry tree with flame-like autumn foliage and great winter structure.
Sorbus pseudohupehensis 'Pink Pagoda' has beautiful, feathered, blue-green leaves that turn a glorious rich red in autumn. It grows to a height of 8m and prefers well-drained soil and full sun. It is hardy to RHS H6 and offers interest in autumn.
For those seeking colour and wildlife support, consider plants such as Fall Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium). This native perennial blooms late into fall, providing vibrant colour from September to November and serving as an essential nectar source for pollinators during this late season.
Pussy Willow (Salix caprea) is another great choice, as it provides early spring fuzzy buds that add visual interest and wildlife value, and offers interesting winter branch texture.
Hardy Hibiscus (with dark foliage) is a good option for adding colour and texture beyond just the flowers. Some varieties bloom late into fall.
Lavender (Lavandula spp.) remains an important evergreen perennial that supports pollinators with its fragrant flowers and is drought tolerant.
Rockrose (Cistus spp.) is an evergreen shrub that blooms abundantly during summer and often into fall, with flowers that offer subtle fragrance and provide winter structure in the garden.
For longer-term colour starting in late fall and into spring, fall-planted bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, crocus, and snowdrops can be added; they don’t bloom in November but will provide early spring colour after being planted now.
In summary, focusing on late-blooming perennials like fall asters, deciduous shrubs like pussy willow that support pollinators and birds, and evergreen aromatic plants like lavender offers a blend of colour and wildlife benefits through November. Adding spring-flowering bulbs now sets up future seasonal interest.
Other plants worth mentioning include Rosa 'Geranium', with large, delicately fragrant, bright-red blooms in summer and attention-grabbing red hips in autumn; Galactites tomentosa, with striking white-and-green variegated foliage in autumn and winter; Acer griseum, with a translucent quality to its papery, peeling bark in late autumn and winter; Saxifraga 'Shiranami', with abundant, pure-white, double flowers that froth above slightly hairy, apple-green leaves on short stems; Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa', producing clusters of bright-purple to purple-pink flowers in late September to November; Astilbe 'Beauty of Ernst', with a wide colour spectrum of leaves that ranges from green and purple to gold, orange and deep red in autumn; Deyeuxia effusiflora, with elegant, eye-catching panicles that create a strong architectural effect in late autumn; Nicandra physalodes 'Black Pod', with bell-shaped flowers that are pale blue to violet with some white, lasting for only a few hours a day; and Fuchsia 'Blacky', with large flowers in a dark, black purple and purplish red that flower non-stop from summer to late autumn.
- The striking Plectranthus argentatus with its silver-grey leaves and blue spikes is ideal for a home-and-garden landscape, blooming from spring to early winter.
- Clematis 'Polish Spirit', with its dark-violet flowers and fresh-green leaves, adds a touch of colour and wildlife support to gardens during the summer to fall season.
- For those looking for longer-term colour starting in late fall and into spring, hardy bulbs like daffodils, tulips, crocus, and snowdrops can be planted in the garden now.
