Rachel is potting up roses at the Nursery

It's blustery, it's rainy, and it's chilly.  But boy is it beautiful!  There's snow in the foothills, and the last of the fall colors appear bright and glowing against the steely sky, and best of all, the snow geese are back!  Every time I hear them honking overhead I have to stop and straighten up out of my bent over gardener's position and turn my eyes to the sky and smile because I love them and I love that they get me up off of the wet ground and cause me to take a moment to reflect on just how lucky I am to be where I am. 

In the vegetable garden:

• There's still time to plant garlic, however your window of opportunity is narrowing.  Garlic should be in the ground by the middle of this month to allow time for the roots to develop before the ground gets too cold.  If you can't or don't plant garlic now, it's ok.  You'll have another opportunity to do so in the spring.  It just means a different harvest time.
• Mulch your empty veggie beds with fallen leaves or straw (NOT hay, as this contains seeds of whatever that grass is and they will sprout in your beds).
• If you are growing asparagus, now is the time to cut the tops off down to the ground.  Mulch to protect the crowns over the winter.
• Make sure to bring in all of your winter squash so that it doesn't rot.  Wash away any mud, dry, and store in a spot where they'll stay cool and dry.  Some people wipe their squash with a weak bleach solution to help prevent any mold from forming.

In the ornamental garden:

• Let the fallen leaves lay where they land (unless they're diseased).  Leaves are an excellent mulch, and if left alone they will provide shelter for important overwintering beneficial insects and spiders.  Remember, these little critters do good work for us in our gardens and they need a safe habitat over the winter.  Plus, over time the leaves will break down and add nutrients to the soil and help improve soil structure.
• Leave as much as you can to rot on it's own and remove only what you need to in order to satisfy your sense of tidiness.  Hydrangea blossoms hold their rich color long into the season and many perennials like eryngium, sedum, and echinacea keep their form and lend interest to our gardens when we maybe forget to pay as much attention.  Plus, they look lovely laced with frost.
• Leave your grasses alone for now too.  Their tawny hues and graceful structure lend beauty and softness to the fall and winter garden.
• Drain and store hoses for winter.  If you have an irrigation system, make sure to drain it too so there's no water left in the pipes to freeze.
• If you haven't planted any spring bulbs yet, make sure to get it done before the end of this month.
• It's still ok to do a bit of rearranging in the garden.  Part of the beauty and fun of gardening is that nothing is static.  You can change anything you want to in your garden.  If you need or want to move perennials or shrubs, or even trees, fall really is the best time to do it.  Plants are going dormant so there is less chance of transplant shock.  Plus, you can count on more regular rainfall so you don't have to do as much hand-watering.  Always hand-water right after you've moved something to be sure to give your plant a good start. 
• Fall is also a really good time to create new garden beds or enlarge old ones.  My favorite way to do this is by sheet mulching, mostly because it's so darn easy!  It does take time though.  Plot out where you want your new bed to be and then dig out around the perimeter, removing only about six inches or so of sod (lawn).  Leave the rest of the lawn alone.  Cover your entire bed space (including the part you dug out) with flattened cardboard or lots of layers of newspaper (I mean lots, like twenty pages thick).  I prefer cardboard because it seems to smother the grass better.  Water down the cardboard or paper to prevent it from blowing away before you have a chance to cover it.  Cover the cardboard or newspaper with a 6-8 inch layer of compost.  You can mix straw and/or leaves in with the compost if you want.  Then just leave it alone for about 3 months or so.  The grass under the cardboard and mulch gets smothered and rots and becomes beautiful garden soil that is ready to be planted in the spring.  You can skip the digging out the perimeter step if you'd like.  I always do it because it creates a nice crisp edge.
• Don't forget to pot up a few paperwhites and Amaryllis for the holidays.  We have 10 different varieties of Amaryllis right now and the bulbs are absolutely giant!  Size matters when it comes to bulbs and these promise lots of color.   Paperwhites take about 6 weeks to flower and Amaryllis take about 8 weeks, depending on how warm or cool your home is.
• If you have plants in ceramic pots outdoors, remove the saucers from underneath them so they don't fill with water and then freeze.  This will help prevent winter damage to your pots.

The garden in November can be a bit messy and unruly, but that's just a part of the beauty of gardening.  My garden in November reminds me that perfection doesn't exist and that the only constant thing in life is change.