With the cold winter getting closer and closer, a lot of gardening tasks are waiting for you to tackle. Heavy rain, fallen leaves and frost can compromise the outstanding looks of your backyard, which is why you should prepare the garden for the freezing weather. November is the perfect time of the year for spending the weekends in your warm, cosy home, but don't forget to address these top priority garden jobs too:

 

• Clean fallen leaves – it is a chore you will face almost every day – November is all about fallen leaves scattered around your backyard. To clean the space properly and make it ready for the tough winter, rake up leaves before they have piled up. Next, while the leaves are still damp, move them to appropriate sacks and place the sacks in your garden shed. Doing so will let you not only get rid of debris in the garden but also make your organic mulch to count on next November.

 

• Mulch perennials – as you already suspect, mulching is another garden task on your to-do list this month. Mulching has numerous advantages and when it comes to freezing temperatures, you can count on mulch to keep the roots of your perennials safe from harm. But before you address mulching, don’t forget to cut the stems of the plants to just above the ground. Once you are ready with the task, cover around their base, to preserve the roots from frost and extreme cold. If you have prepared your very own organic mulch last year, now is the best time to make the most of it.

 

• Plant spring-blooming bulbs – next spring might seem so far away, but warm weather will arrive before you know it. To welcome it with colourful plants, make yourself ready this month by planting spring bulbs. Do you love tulips? Get some healthy bulbs and plant them in the garden, in a pot or a container. If you are not sure how deep in the soil to plant the bulbs, just plant them three times to their depth. In addition to various shades of tulips, you can also think about planting crocus or daffodils to enjoy next spring.

 

• Shop for winter plants – surely you don’t want to be deprived of colours all winter long and you don’t have to be. While you are tackling gardening tasks in November, don’t forget to shop for some winter flowering plants. Polyanthus, primroses and winter pansies are some of the best choices you can make so that your garden or balcony keeps its beauty during the winter.

 

• Take care of your veggie garden – with summer season over, your veggie beds probably lie empty, so you should address them before frost and snow come. Just cover them with some organic compost to preserve and enrich the quality of the soil, making it ready for next spring. Do you want to take advantage of fresh veggies in winter? Then this month is the perfect time for you to plant winter crops like lettuce and alliums.

 

• Protect container plants – most plants grown outdoors in containers are vulnerable to frost and low temperatures winter comes with. To keep them safe during cold months, insulate container plants in November, using materials like fleece or polystyrene. Regardless of the type of plants, you are insulating, don’t allow moisture to stay trapped under the wrapping. Your container plants need to be protected from moisture to prevent decay, that’s why using waterproof materials is a smart way to go.

 

Prepare your beautiful garden for next year by dealing with these six important tasks this month. A lot of things will change in the garden in November and you should spend a little time to make sure the space has been perfectly taken care of.

 

© Fast Landscape Gardening

 

 

Lots of people rely on outdoor water features to improve the appearance of their backyard spaces. A beautiful artificial pond or a breathtaking fountain, having a water feature in your garden brings you closer to nature. While these additions are no doubt a cool way for you to upgrade your property, special maintenance is required so that they can stay functional. Keep in mind these tips for prolonging the lifespan of your water features:

 

• Choose the right location – it is important to realise that your water features should be placed at the right spot so that less significant maintenance would be required. Typically you need to avoid installing a water feature in direct sunlight, no matter how appealing the location might seem. If being exposed to the hot sunbeams all day long, your water features will require a greater amount of water, which leads to losses you shouldn’t underestimate. Furthermore, sunlight is likely to promote algae or other organisms you don’t want to deal with in your water features.

 

• Clean regularly – if you have the time, clean your water features every day. Just like any other chore, the maintenance of the water features will be easier, as long as you stick to a strict routine. This way you can prevent challenging problems from occurring and extend the longevity of your precious garden additions. To make the most of your water features, remove debris daily. For that purpose, you can employ a handy net.

 

• Insist on freshwater – even if the water looks fresh enough, replacing it at least twice a year goes a long way in preserving the water feature in top condition. Issues like clogging can be caused by filthy water, which can be easily prevented with fresh water. In case your water feature shelters fish or other animals, providing fresh water is even more crucial. Replacing the water often enough will cater for a healthier environment for the animals, since harmful organisms and debris will be banished from the water.

 

• Do a seasonal checkup – despite your efforts to preserve the water features in perfect working order, malfunctions are a possibility you should expect. To detect a problem on time, inspect your water features for leaks and check on their filters and pumps. The most appropriate moment for you to complete the job is when you replace the water – an empty water feature provides better access to elements that are likely to get damaged. Once autumn has arrived, inspect your additions for typical issues and get them ready for the winter if everything seems functional.

 

• Address winter preparation – depending on the type of water feature you take advantage of, a certain winter preparation might be required, or else the addition might suffer serious damage. Is it likely for the water feature to freeze? If so, you should make it ready for the winter as a part of its maintenance. In fact, keeping your water features safe from freezing is pretty simple. Just get rid of all debris like fallen leaves, eliminate unwanted organisms like algae, drain the water and remove the pump. That’s all – your water feature will be protected from dangerously low temperatures that often lead to costly repairs.

 

• Let the experts help – in case you consider maintaining your water features a complicated task, you can always count on a professional gardener to do the heavy lifting for you. Experienced gardeners do more than simply addressing the needs of your plants – they are perfectly capable of ensuring the most appropriate maintenance for your water features.

 

Are you ready to improve the looks of your garden? These tips will help you to maintain your water features in perfect condition for years ahead.

 

© Fast Landscape Gardening

Gardening: The Essential Beginner's Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening
Just about ready to start our second organic raised bed garden and agreed to read this book hoping we can find more useful information.
Starts out with the list of why you should start a vegetable garden.  Benefits are so helpful when seen in a list format.
Next are chapters on tools you will need-although quite the variety is available it's up to you to decide which to buy.
Just cleared two pine trees from the lawn that we grew over 36 years so now that opens the area for a lot of sunlight. Liked the compost sections. The right dirt and container sizes are also discussed. Seeds and GMO's are discussed.
Easy plants to grow and why and how.  Mistakes and solutions are a treasured chapter!  Direction of the garden-vertical sounds like something we need to investigate.
Liked this book as it concentrates on just everything you need to know but doesn't spend hour after hour on just one subject.  Advanced gardening is discussed also.
Bonus ebook listed at the end. Found this ebook easy to understand and fun to read.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review

The Under Cover Gardening Guide
Love others strategies when it comes to growing your own crops. We just have a small size garden and it produces many things during the summer and fall months for us.
So many solutions that would work to protect from harsh rains, to too much sun to other nature disasters.
Greenhouses are described in detail, all the many types. There are lists of materials you can use and after answering a few questions you will know which will work for you.
So many tips along the way. Very resourceful book. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Organic Oren's Gardening Guide: Planning... Received this book through GoodReads First-Reads Giveaway.

Found this to be rather interesting to read, especially on what not to do to ensure that your garden remains organic. I did like the mention of vegetables, how to maintain the garden, and all the worm farm mentions. Learning what bugs were good and which were not was rather informative too! The use of tools was informative, though more would be beneficial.

I did have a few issues, such as in certain areas the water probably has more chemicals in it than other places, such as chlorine, arsenic, and flouride. While that may be fine, they're still chemicals none the less and in some places water supply which is not good. Another issue was that I would have loved to have had more information on fruits and vegetables, especially fruits. I would love to know more about them, especially strawberries and blueberries. I'd also like to know more about the places where certain plants thrive and do well in.

This is a really great guide, especially if you're first starting out in it as it helps you get everything started and going to understand what it is you're doing. It also shows that to have organic fruits and vegetables, you don't have to spend that much money and you can provide a healthy meal for your family. It does take work and he does stress that a lot!