November Woodland Garden Tips

Protecting Tree Ferns

Protect crown, with paper, straw or fleece.

Wrap hessian / fleece, around the top half of the trunk.

A safely wrapped tree fern.

 

Tree Ferns will happily withstand minus 10°C and even if all the fronds turn brown the crown will still generate new fronds next Spring.  It is therefore advisable to protect the crown.  The best way is to gather the fronds upright and wrap fleece around the crown where the fronds start.   For more details see full article - How to care for Tree Ferns.

Protecting Gunnera

The best way to ensure that your Gunnera manicata survive the winter is to cut the leaves off now and drape them over the main rhizome and crown.  Then cover the whole area with dead leaves, leaf mould or peat to keep the frost out.   For more details see full article - How to care for Gunnera.

Cut off all of the leaves

Use straw, dry leaves or shredded paper to cover bud

Stack all the leaves one on top of the other over bud

Creating a protective wigwam of leaves

Protecting Patio Plants

Bring tender scented rhododendrons grown in pots outside for the summer back into the greenhouse or conservatory before the first frosts.
 

Evergreen Cuttings

Now is the best time to take cuttings of evergreen plants such as hollies, (evergreen) vacciniums, (evergreen) oaks and conifers.