Everything you need to grow...
Hot off the trowel
Gardens to Gander
We are fully into autumn now. The clocks have gone back, and daylight is becoming less, with darker mornings and longer evenings
West Dean Gardens open Mon-Fri 09.30am - 5.00pm.
Sat-Sun 09.00am - 5.00pm
The National Garden Scheme (NGS)
Look on their website and find a garden near you to visit.
Woolbeding Gardens.
The gardens open again on Thursdays and Fridays only as from 24th April. Pre-booking is required for everyone.
Insector Clueso!
The Asian Hornet has arrived in the UK, and hundreds of nests have been destroyed. However, it looks as though they have been the tip of the iceberg. They are avaricious insects that target most of our pollinators.
Our honey bees are at serious risk of their hives being invaded and the colonies being wiped out. These predators are smaller than the European Hornet, which is not a threat. The Asian Hornet can be identified by its yellow leg ends and a wide orange band towards the rear of its abdomen.
If you see one, please report it using the iPhone and Android ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ app. Alternatively, email: alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
please include a photo if you can do so safely.
Weeders Digest
Green Kingdom: The Family History of Plants by Ben Dark has debuted to glowing praise from prominent nature writers and critics.
Dark's book tracks 500 million years of plant evolution by examining 16 distinct plant families.
It is a masterclass in storytelling. Bill Bryson praised the book as 'utterly fascinating ', stating 'that he doesn't expect to read a better work of natural history this year'. Dark avoids turning taxonomy into dry data points. Instead, he weaves together hard evolutionary science with human history, folklore and witty imagery - describing mosses as 'toupees for the world's scalp'.
He describes botanical quirks such as 'the blistering heat generated by the Titan arum to blast its foul scent through jungle canopies.' It's a delightful book. Gardeners will love it as they will meet so many incredible plants.
It's a book that makes you see nature differently.
ISBN 9781847928337. Publisher : The Bodley Head / Vintage Publishing
Published 29 October 2026
Top gardening jobs for November
Enjoy the last burst of autumn colour.
Top gardening jobs this month
1. Clear fallen leaves from ponds and lawns; leave leaves in beds.
2. Raise containers onto pot feet to prevent waterlogging.
3. Plant tulip bulbs for spring next year.
4. Don’t burn your woody waste - compost it or recycle into log piles
5. Start winter rose pruning early to prevent wind-rock
6. Sow some sweet peas indoors, putting them into a cold frost-free
place as soon as they germinate.
7. Cover brassicas with netting if pigeons are a nuisance.
8. Insulate outdoor containers from frost - hessian sacking or bubblewrap works well.
9. Put out bird food to encourage winter birds into the garden
10. Add winter bedding plants such as heathers and pansies to brighten up pots and containers.
Musings
‘How sad would be November if we had no knowledge of the spring’
Edwin Way Teale
‘The world is tired, the year is old,
The faded leaves are glad to die...
Sarah Teasdale.
‘November comes
And November goes.
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.
With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.
The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring’
Elizabeth Coatsworth.
‘I love to see the cottage smoke
Curl upwards through the trees,
The pigeons nestled round the cote
On November days like these.....
John Clare
‘In November, the trees are standing all sticks and bones.
Without their leaves, how lovely they are, spreading their arms
like dancers. They know it is time to be still’
Cynthia Rylant
‘Some of the days in November carry the whole memory of summer as a fire opal carried the colour of moonrise’
Gladys Taber
‘No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,no fruits, no flowers
No leaves, no birds -November!
Thomas Hood
‘She stands
In tattered gold
Tossing bits of amber
And jade,
Jewels of a year grown old:
November’
Zephyr Ware Tarver
‘Autumn has always been my favourite season. The time when
everything bursts it’s last beauty, as if nature had been saving up
all year for the grande finale’
Lauren De Stefano
And finally...............
Autumn is the only artist who scatters colour everywhere and never has to clear up!
