November is a great gardening month here in the Pacific Northwest. While we usually have some rain, we still get rain-less days making it ideal to work outside. This year has been no exception and while we have had rain, we have also had some sunny days. The rain has added much needed moisture to the soil and has made it easy to dig and cultivate. Since we have not had cold temperatures, the soil temperature is still relatively warm. This kind of weather makes it a perfect time to plant new shrubs and trees and let them get settled before spring. The roots have an opportunity to begin growing and in the spring will be ready to ‘spring forward’ with new growth both above and below the soil surface.
In my November garden, I am surprised at the amount of color that I still have, not only from fall leaf color, but even some flowers that are still performing. An outstanding flower blooming now is Leonotis leonurus (Lion’s Tail). This plant is technically a perennial, but I consider it an annual and then if it does not survive the winter I am not disappointed. Whereas if it does survive, I am pleasantly surprised. Thus I am mentally prepared for either scenario.
Lion’s Tail is a rather nondescript plant in early spring and I can understand why it is often overlooked. Since it does not come into flowering until late summer or early fall, many gardeners are unaware it exists. I always think it is fun to try something new in the garden and I encourage others to do so as well. I set out plants in early June and worked Black Gold Soil Conditioner into the top six inches of the soil. At this same time, I also added Black Gold Rose & Flower Fertilizer. This one application of fertilizer is all that I used in the soil for the entire season. I selected a location that would receive full sun and I set the plants in the background area of a mixed border of shrubs and other flowers. This is a wonderful late summer and early fall blooming plant with deep rust-orange flowers appearing in whorls on long stems of up to six feet. The bloom habit of the flowers and the color are quite striking because not many plants bloom with this kind of color and flower shape.
This fall, after the first hard frost, I am going to cut the plants back to ground level and mulch the soil with 4-5 inches of Black Gold Soil Conditioner to see if this will provide enough winter protection for the plants to survive. If not, I will happily buy new plants in the spring!
When we do have those sunny days, this is also a perfect time for some general garden maintenance. If your garden is anything like mine, I often put plants in the wrong place. It seems that I plant short ones in back and tall ones behind! This is the time to walk through the garden and sort out what needs to be changed. It is also an ideal time to transplant some hardy perennials like phlox, hostas, and peonies.
Peonies are one of my favorite herbaceous perennials and I have many in my garden. Peonies are winter hardy in most areas and reliably come up every year. Once established, they require little care other than having good drainage and a sunny location. Most of the standard types do need to be staked as with their large flowers, the stems often flop. I have seen some gardeners use tomato cages as support and this seems to work. There are also some specifically made peony supports that also do a good job of holding up the stems. I have cut my herbaceous peonies to the ground and I have added a light coating of Black Gold Soil Conditioner as winter protection. If your peony flower production has declined in recent years and the plants have been in their location for several years, they might need to be divided.
This is the time to do that. Make certain to have one eye on each piece and do not plant them more than about three inches below the soil surface. If planted too deep, peonies do not bloom.
One of the new introductions in the plant world is the Itoh Peony. This is a cross between a tree peony and an herbaceous peony. The result has been some outstanding new plants. The flowers tend to look like a tree peony while the plant grows like the herbaceous type. To me, the big advantage is the very sturdy stems that do not need staking. The picture shown was taken in November and whereas my herbaceous peonies have been cut to the ground, this Itoh peony ‘Bartzella’, looks almost as good as it did in the spring. ‘Bartzella’ has clear yellow and fragrant flowers that continue blooming over an extended period of time in the spring. I have had it for three years and it is an outstanding plant in my garden. Check out your local garden center as there are new colors being introduced.
This might be November, but that does not mean you should halt work in your garden. Hardy flowering plants like Lions Tail and Itoh Peony make a great addition to any November garden. I actually find this time of year as ideal for contemplating what I want to change and add for next year.
Enjoy the season!