Planting outdoor plants in November
November is a good month to plant hardy shrubs, ferns and grasses. The soil holds moisture, the plants are slowing down for winter, and the roots have time to establish before growth starts again in spring. Avoid planting into frozen or waterlogged ground, water each plant in well and spread a mulch around the base. Evergreens such as Viburnum davidii and Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web' keep their leaves through winter, so they give a new border some structure straight away.
Winter flowers and scent
Several of the plants on offer flower in the colder months. Sarcococca confusa, the sweet box, opens tiny cream flowers in winter with a sweet scent, and it is one of the most useful winter shrubs for shade. Jasminum nudiflorum carries bright yellow flowers on bare green stems from about November to March. Mahonia eurybracteata 'Volcano' is an evergreen mahonia with soft, fern-like leaves and no prickles. For more plants that bring colour to the garden in winter, browse Winter Flowering Plants.
Palms, bamboo and an exotic look
For a tropical feel in a UK garden, start with the hardy palms. Trachycarpus wagnerianus is a compact, tough form of the Chusan palm, and Chamaerops humilis, the European fan palm, is one of the most cold hardy palms you can grow. Musa basjoo is the hardiest banana for British gardens; wrap the stem in fleece or straw over winter to protect it. Fargesia rufa is a clumping bamboo with evergreen leaves, so it does not spread through the border like a running bamboo. See more in Hardy Exotics.
Ferns and grasses for shade and movement
Polystichum polyblepharum, the Japanese tassel fern, stays evergreen and suits a shady border. Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance' unfurls coppery orange new fronds in spring. For movement, Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' forms arching clumps of golden leaves, and Stipa tenuissima 'Ponytails' has fine, soft leaves that sway in the wind. There is more choice in Hardy Ferns and Ornamental Grasses. We work with trusted partner nurseries to source and curate the best quality plants. Every plant is grown on and supplied at its healthiest, and delivered across the UK with our 7 day live arrival guarantee.