In the Garden: November

By mid-October, you can feel the autumn vibes in the air. Later, with Halloween just a week away, deciduous trees are fully clothed in their jewel-toned splendor, holding onto their leaves until they are shaken free by wind and rain: a few at first, then a pause, and then a few more. Rich golds, persimmon oranges, and deep reds are a feast for the eyes and a balm for the soul, a reminder that the big dark will soon arrive.

On Halloween, the sun will rise in Point Roberts at 7:58 a.m. and dip below the horizon at 5:52 in the afternoon. Daylight Savings Time ends two short days later, and the November supermoon – known as the Beaver Moon – will grace the evening skies on November 4 and 5. If the skies are clear, the autumn leaves should sparkle before and after the early sunset at 4:45 p.m. Smores and cider around a blazing fire, indoors or out, would be a cozy way to celebrate the season.

In our corner of the Pacific Northwest, the earth grows quiet in November. The signs are all around us: the geese have flown south, the hungry deer and eagles are seen more often, and summer gardens turn to bare branches, decaying plants, and hollow stalks where insects make their winter homes. November is primetime for gathering colorful leaves and fallen branches to cover and feed our soil, and to use for crafts and home décor.

Autumn walks, in the woods or along the streets, are good for our minds and souls, as well as our waistlines. A five minute outdoor walk – even in your own backyard – can improve your mood, refresh your mind, and lower your blood pressure. Put on your gloves and grab a pair of scissors or garden snips when you head outdoors and collect whatever strikes your fancy to create a seasonal bouquet, wreath, swag, or centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.

You’ll find sprays of leaves and shrubbery, rose hips, forest greenery, pinecones, dried fern fronds and hydrangea flowers, sticks and twigs, and much more. Evergreens and herbs like sage and rosemary add a lovely scent to your arrangements. Use whatever you have as a vase: empty soup cans can be placed inside a flowerpot or pumpkin shell; they also look lovely wrapped in brown paper or fabric and secured with a ribbon, string or rubber band.

Would you like to add easy to grow flowers to your yard? There are dozens of plants that can be started this month by simply scattering their seeds on top of the soil. Here’s a partial list of flowering plants – annuals as well as perennials – known to reseed themselves year after year: poppies, marigolds, daisies, cosmos, yarrow, lupin, verbascum, larkspur, coneflowers, black-and brown-eyed Susans, feverfew, hollyhocks and foxglove.

Not every seed will germinate, so be generous when seeding. No soil prep is needed and the seeds do not need to be covered, though leaves or fallen branches can hold the seeds in place to keep them safe from hungry birds and help to keep weeds from sprouting over winter.

Scattered seeds may sprout quickly or not until warmer weather arrives. Let whatever plants come up grow until they’re large enough to distinguish desirable seedlings from weeds, which may not be obvious until plants begin to flower. When removing weeds, pull gently or snip them off at soil level.

I’m happily planning next year’s gardens, reviewing my notes and photos and deciding what should be removed (because I didn’t love it or it didn’t perform well) to make space for new additions. I order many of my seeds and starter plants online, always looking for disease-resistant varieties that will thrive in our local climate and conditions.

I buy flower, vegetable and herb seeds from Johnny’s Seeds, Renees Gardens, and Botanical Interests. I source bulbs, tubers, and perennial starter plants from Easy To Grow Seeds, Bluestone Perennials, and local/regional flower farmers. I buy seeds in person from Nielsons, West Coast Seeds, Walmart in Canada and Bellingham, and local garden centers on both sides of the border. There are restrictions on which seeds can be purchased in Canada, so be sure to ask at the border.

If you’d like to increase your gardening knowledge, this is a great time of year to start. There are excellent free gardening workshops offered in person on the mainland in Blaine (nwcore.org/), at Earthwise Gardens in Tsawwassen (earthwisesociety.bc.ca/events/). A wide variety of classes, activities, and resources are available via the Whatcom County Master Gardeners and Extension Office website (extension.wsu.edu/whatcom/). There are also dozens of online gardening videos from the 10 Minute University site the OSU Master Gardener Program (clackamascountymastergardeners.org/10-minute-university/videos/).

Have a bountiful November!