What to do in November

-If you haven't blown out your sprinklers, you want to have this done by Veteran's Day.

-Check and if needed, water your established evergreens and your newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials from summer/fall plantings. Here is a list of plants that appreciate a drink of water in the winter.

-Prepare roses for winter by trimming them back, so they look presentable for winter.  Mulch their crowns with bark or compost to insulate. We prefer using compost to give them a slow feed over the winter, so they bloom like mad in the growing season.  Here is a video on how to prepare roses for winter.

-You can mulch a number of plants to protect them from winter cold and drying winds.  You can use leaves, bark or compost to mulch around a plant's crown, generally about 2 to 3 inches thick.  We like to use compost because it's loaded with nutrients that will feed the plant over the winter for exceptional growth and bloom performance in the next growing season. Plants that benefit from a good winter mulch: Roses, Mimosa, Figs, Bigleaf Hydrangeas, Blackberries (including Marion or Boysenberries), Rosemary, Crape Myrtle, Blueberries, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Bigleaf Hydrangeas, Pampass Grass, and any plant that is experiencing nutrient deficiencies (yellow foliage at a time of year where the foliage color should be green).

-You can cut back deciduous perennials as they die back for winter.  Simply cut them to the ground or pick up the dead leaves.  For woodier perennials like Lavender, simply even up.  Here is the List of Perennials to Cut Back for Winter and the List of Perennials to Just Even Up

-If the daytime highs are above 32 degree F; you can plant potted, bare root, B&B (balled and burlap) trees and shrubs.