Shorter days are here along with some misty mornings and the risk of frosts. A busy time still in the garden clearing leaves, planting bare root roses and pruning fruit trees are just a few of the jobs needing our attention. For more do read Chris’s Tips for November.

Our autumn events are now in full swing. We are holding the Society’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 10th November in Capel Parish Hall, 7.30 pm. Jean Griffin will be presenting a talk “Tales from the Potting Shed”. Everybody is welcome.

Please help keep our village tidy and join our Litter Pick on Saturday 12 November, Capel Village Memorial Hall Car Park, meet at 10.00 am, finish by noon (or sooner if loads of you turn up). Dress for the weather with sensible footwear and gloves. Bags, litter pickers all provided. It would be great to see some new faces and you will be rewarded with coffee and home-made cake!

Willow Stars Workshop, Thursday 22 November, Capel Village Memorial Hall, 7 – 9.30 pm. Nicki Rowlings from Willow & Yoga returns to show us how to make stunning willow stars as lasting Christmas decorations. £25 to include all tuition, materials, mulled wine and mince pies. Booking essential, please contact Miranda Ashwood mirandaashwood1@gmail.com

Seaslonal Table Decoration – Wednesday 14 December, Capel Parish Hall, 7.30 pm £22.50. An evening, including refreshments, with Chloe Dorling who will guide us through making a beautiful fresh flower and foliage table decoration to take home with us. All materials included, although feel free to bring greenery from your garden if you wish. Christmas themed raffle adds to the fun. To book you place contact Jane Major oldjoinery@gmail.com

Our events are open to everybody, not just members, so do please consider supporting one of these activiities.

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What a terrific evening our Pumpkin Pageant proved to be this year. On Friday (28 October) we were delighted to welcome families from around the village to bring their children, along with carved pumpkins, to the Memorial Hall where our resident witch welcomed them. Babies, children and adults turned out in fantastic fancy dress costumes to take part in the fun and games provided by members of the Society. Spooky cakes were devoured and the inevitable mountain of sweets consumed. Over 40 beautifully carved and decorated pumpkins were on display and children took pumpkin seeds, flower pots and instructions home to grow their own for next year. Many thanks to John Dale for providing an enormous pumpkin for one of the games and slices for everybody to take away with them. Fair to say our Pumpkin Pageant looks like becoming a permanent fixture in the Capel Horticultural Society calendar. Do take a look at our gallery for some pictures of the event.

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Garden Notes for November 2022

I have enjoyed the return to ‘normal’ weather in September. Having the lawn return to being green and the dahlias flowering away has been a joy. Following the wonderful open weather we have had at the start of October (writing this in the second week) the long range weather forecast for November looks like being a normal month with average rainfall and temperatures.

Prepare for the spring by digging and manuring the vegetable patch in November. Remember to keep a 3-year rotation so that potatoes (for example) are not planted in the same area two years running.

If you are planting a new tree, put a mulch mat around it or mulch with garden compost. The tree will root much better.

We have had quite good growing weather this autumn, and many of the evergreens and hardy trees will have made lush growth. Where possible prune the excess growth back before the winter storms set in, otherwise they will be vulnerable. The main pruning will still need to be done in the spring.

If you have a sheltered and well drained plot, now is the time to sow winter broad beans such as Aquadulce. Early broad beans often escape the blackfly attacks on the growth tips of the plant in spring.

Provided the weather is suitable keep digging the ground for good crops next year. Where possible double dig in farm yard manure, or well-rotted compost from your own compost bin.

November is the best month for planting bare root roses.

Remember to get your tulips planted before the end of the month. Try layer planting of tulips in containers. Do this by planting the later flowering varieties first, cover them with about an inch to 2″ of compost and then plant earlier varieties. A typical 12″ diameter container can take up to 40 bulbs in order to get a good display that lasts several weeks if this technique is used.

Watch out for slugs even as the autumn starts to turn to winter. We usually look out for them in the spring, but they can still do considerable damage shoots of delphiniums and campanulas at this time before the hard frosts start.

After the first frost has blackened dahlias, cut the tops back to about 4 – 6” and lay the stems over the plants for about a week. This allows the tubers to ripen and harden. When the weather is fine, dig them up and turn the plants upside down to allow any moisture to drain off from the hollow stems and crowns. Store them in a frost-free place where it is cool and dry.

Regards
Chris

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