Head Gardener’s Blog: November

11 November 2022

Autumn is already drawing to an end and I’m sure you have noticed that this year we have been treated to a fantastic display of breath-taking seasonal colour.

The intensity of the leaf colour is determined by both yearly weather patterns and short-term changes in sun and rain. While a few trees did shed their leaves early due to the stress of this summer’s exceptional heat, it is this warmer weather and intense levels of sunlight which increased the sugar content of leaves.  This has resulted in the vibrant red, orange, brown and gold hues that we admire as the green chlorophyll breaks down.

There are still many trees wowing us with their spectacularly colourful leaves this month.  One of the last non-native, deciduous trees to lose its leaves is Liquidambar formosana ‘monticola’.  Originating in China, this beautiful tree is well suited to our climate.  It is hardier than other Liquidambars at resisting frost and so holds onto its colourful leaves well.  It has glossy, hairless leaves which turn an attractive soft burgundy.  I love this delicate, understated autumn blush.  This is a medium sized tree which grows well in any reasonable soil, but the most vivid colours are found on acid soil.

The stunning Nyssa sinensis Chinese tupelo tree is native to China and Vietnam.  It impresses with a magnificent display of red, yellow and pumpkin orange leaves throughout November and December.  These unique glossy leaves almost appear to reflect light back at you.  More compact than its relative, Nyssa sylvatica, this is suitable for more modest gardens.  The genus Nyssa is named for one of the water nymphs in Greek mythology, and Chinese tupelo is a particularly good choice if your garden has wet soil, such as next to a pond or stream.

Did you have any casualties from the intense summer heat?  Here at Furzey, we sadly lost a beautiful old cherry tree.  We are going to remove the dead tree and take the opportunity to rework the ground around it, reducing the neighbouring azaleas and wisteria before they take over.  I plan to transplant the wisteria and grow them up into trees as they would in the wild.  We have an interesting Acer henryi seedling in the nursery, which grew from our parent tree in the garden.  It is native to China and rarely grown in Britain, so it will make an attractive focal point to replace the cherry.  November is a good time to plant trees and shrubs as the soil is still warm and they should have plenty of water from the increased rainfall.  Planting them at this time of year will give them a good chance to get their roots down before the heat of next summer.

Although the clocks have gone back and we have reducing daylight, there are still plenty of jobs to be undertaken in your garden this month.  Brighten up your outside space by potting up colourful winter containers.  Remember that plants grow very little in the colder months, so start with good-sized plants to make an impact.  I recommend primulas, polyanthus, violas and cyclamen for an attractive display.  You could even underplant with spring bulbs, so that the container rewards you with colour and interest well into next year.  If possible, position your containers in areas with as much sunlight as possible.

Clear leaves with a spring-tine rake and compost them.  Leaf mould is worth its weight in gold to gardeners, so it is well worth making your own.  Be sure to leave some piles of leaves for wildlife.  Even a small pile of leaves behind a shed or in an unused corner, will provide vital shelter and a great nesting spot for hibernating animals such as hedgehogs, small mammals, frogs and countless insects.  You will also support the bird population, as they will peck through leaf piles looking for a tasty meal of worms and grubs.  Beetles and woodlice will also feed on the decaying leaves.  Aim for a pile of leaves at least a foot deep, ideally in a shaded area.

We have been experiencing very wet, mild weather so far this autumn, but do check the weather forecast regularly, so that you are ready to protect your delicate plants with fleece or plant jackets.  If you have a greenhouse, you could move your most tender plants inside to offer them further protection.  If any of these plants need watering at this time, you should avoid splashing the foliage, as it will dry slowly in cooler weather and fungal diseases may set in.

Late Autumn is a wonderful time to get out and explore nature.  There are roughly 15,000 types of wild fungi in the UK.  Incredibly, the New Forest is home to over 2700 species and is a nationally important area for fungi.  Fungi plays a vital part in both biodiversity and woodland management as it breaks down wood and aids the process of decay.  The parts that we see above the ground, are the fruiting bodies.  These grow up from an unseen network of tiny filaments called hyphae, which together form a structure known as the mycelium. Look out for Devil’s fingers, Fly agaric, Golden spindles and Southern bracket if you are out walking in the New Forest.

Here at Furzey Gardens, we are very lucky to have many species, including the Earthstar fungus which is known scientifically as Geastracaea.  They have a central brownish-grey puffball that sits on a platform consisting of four to ten plump, pointed “arms” that give the fungus a star-shaped appearance.  They grow happily at Furzey in our mature, herbaceous borders which have been liberally mulched with woodchips.  If you look under our birch trees, you will find the enchanting, shiny red caps of the Fly agaric.  The bright red fugus is topped with wart-like white spots and has bright white gills.  The mycelium of fly agaric often forms a symbiotic relationship with the trees around it, wrapping around the roots and supplying them with nutrients taken from the soil.  In exchange, the fugus receives sugars produced by the trees. Whilst this iconic fungus does resemble something from a children’s fairy tale, one should remember that it is poisonous.

A tree that I photograph every year is a Snake bark maple that we have grown at Furzey Gardens.  These trees hybridise easily, and the trees throw up new shapes and forms.  In the 1990s we discovered a beautiful specimen with creamy variegation around the edge of the leaf, which turn a beautiful golden colour in November.  I named this tree Acer conspicuum ‘Golden Boy’ after my son, who is now in his 30s.  I send him a photograph of the tree every autumn and it brings me great joy.  If you have any photographs of delightful autumn colour in your own garden, I would love to see them, so please email them to me with any questions you have.

As the year draws to a close we turn our attention to the festivities of Christmas and we are looking forward to holding a Fairy Lantern trail on weekends in the run up to Christmas. You can find out more about this event at furzey-gardens.org. The gardens and tea rooms remain open seven days a week where a friendly welcome awaits our visitors.

This article originally appeared as the monthly In The Garden column in the Lymington Times, buy the paper on the second Friday of every month to read the next column first.