What to Do in the Garden in November (UK)

Sow and plant

• Plant tulip bulbs this month — the colder soil of November reduces fungal disease risk compared with earlier planting.
• Start bare-root planting: roses, trees, hedging and fruit can go in any time from November to March when the soil is workable.
• Last chance to plant out winter bedding: wallflowers, forget-me-nots, bellis, primulas and violas (winter pansies).

Prune and tidy

• Cut the old leaves off stemless (Christmas and Lenten rose type) hellebores to make way for the emerging flowers.
• Clear fallen leaves regularly from lawns, ponds and around plants.

Lawn and general care

• Rake leaves off the lawn and stack them in a bin or cage to rot down into leaf mould — a free soil improver.
• Mow only if the grass is still growing and conditions are dry, with blades set high.

Regional adjustment

Bare-root planting runs on soil condition: plant whenever soil is workable between November and March, which gives milder southern and western gardens a longer window, while colder or waterlogged northern soils may mean waiting for a suitable spell.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• RHS — Gardening in November: jobs to do this month — November jobs include planting tulips, clearing leaves for leaf mould, and last chance for winter bedding such as wallflowers, forget-me-nots, bellis, primulas and violas.
• RHS — Monthly gardening tips: November flowers — November flower jobs including tulip planting, winter bedding and cutting hellebore leaves.
• RHS — Monthly gardening tips: November trees and shrubs — November marks the start of bare-root planting season for roses, trees and hedging, continuing while soil is workable.

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