What to plant in November

Head gardener Benjamin Pope is here to make sure your garden looks great all year round. His practical gardening magazine column series continues, and his tips on what to plant in November are a taster of what you can expect. For the full column, subscribe to Gardens Illustrated magazine.

Don't miss our suggestions of the best plants for November, what gardens to visit and the gardening jobs for the month.

What to plant in November

Low light levels and short days make this month less suitable for sowing many seeds. However, trees, shrubs and umbel seed often germinate better following a period of cold weather and can be sown now, covered with grit and left somewhere outside, safe from mice and other pests.

I like to use open cold frames, where I can protect plants from excessive rainfall and offer night protection – but planting in a sheltered spot near to the house or a shed will work just as well.

In mild parts of the country, you can direct sow broad beans and plant out autumn garlic and onion sets.

Indoors I like to sow micro greens and cut-and-come-again salad leaves that can easily be grown on a windowsill or greenhouse shelf. Mixed seed packets are available and include various beets, brassicas, mustards and herbs, all of which are packed with flavour and nutrients.

Sowing several peas into a two- or three-litre pot will also provide pea shoots for winter cropping. Where sowing is sparse this month, planting is not and now is the perfect time to plant trees, shrubs, roses and hedging.