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November Meeting | Mark Porter - 'The Winter Garden' | Tuesday 10th November, 8pm
Please see the November Potting Shed for the Crossgram and Wordsearch puzzles, and the list of Events and Activities in the area
Black Walnut and Acer Leaves
Club Meetings - Last Month
Leaf-fall came early this year as the relentless heat and drought of the summer pushed deciduous trees further and further into water-stress and they responded by shedding many of their older leaves. Thankfully, the very welcome rain through October has allowed some recovery of these stressed trees and the garden in general, and we have already been treated to a wonderful display of colours from acers, amelanchiers, and walnut trees, while others are still enjoying the damp and mild weather and holding their leaves a bit longer.
There are three main types of pigments in plants – chlorophylls, carotenes, and flavonoids. The chlorophylls give plants their green colour and are the main molecules that allows plants to use sunlight, water, and CO2 from the air to produce sugars via photosynthesis. In deciduous trees, this green chlorophyll usually masks other colours in the leaves during the summer months. However, as winter approaches, the chlorophyll is broken down and reabsorbed, exposing other colours in the leaves. Carotenes give autumn leaves (and carrots) their orange colour and are reabsorbed at a slower rate than chlorophyll, so most leaves turn orange and yellow. The flavonoids include anthocyanin which creates the purples and reds in autumn leaves (and the red in red cabbage).
Our October speaker, Jonathan Newell, gave us a wonderfully interactive look at the biochemistry that underpins these colour changes in deciduous trees and showed us some surprising properties of some of the abundant berries that adorn lots of trees and shrubs this year. This included a ‘taster’ session of the tiny berries of the Bush Pepper, Zanthoxylum piperitum, which, after an initial citrus-like taste, causes a long-lasting tingling and numbing sensation caused by hydroxy-alpha-sanshool that blocks specific potassium channels in your sensory nerves causing them to misfire, tricking your brain into feeling a physical, buzzing vibration! These plants are heavily armoured with spines along their branches and trunk and can grow up to 3 meters tall but will tolerate aggressive pruning and can even be trained as a bonsai. They thrive in full sun and are highly cold-tolerant, surviving winter temperatures down to -15°C.
November Club Meeting
As the leaves continue to fade and fall, the garden approaches the more stark look of winter. However, this doesn’t have to be without colour, or scent, or interest. Our speaker at our November meeting on Tuesday 8th November from 8pm at Emmanuel Parish Centre will be Mark Porter who will be showing us how to make the most of ‘The Winter Garden’.
The wonderful collection of photographs from October are also full of colour and interest, although perhaps not scent, and can be enjoyed on the October Photographs page of the Club website.
Gardening Tips for November
You can also see an expanded, bulleted list in the November Potting Shed
We are certainly heading into winter and with the clocks going back for the end of British Summer Time, we are further reminded of the approaching end of the year. But we are not there yet, and November can still bring some lovely days well worth celebrating.
Night time temperatures will probably not stay above freezing for too much longer, so this really is the last opportunity to move any houseplants that have enjoyed the summer outside or tender perennials such as fuchsias back into a warmer and more protected environment. It is generally too late to take softwood cuttings of tender perennials, but it’s the perfect time for semi-ripe and hardwood cuttings of many woody shrubs such as roses, Viburnum, Cornus (dogwood), and Hydrangea.
If you have any plants that may be borderline-hardy then it is best not to prune or trim these plants back until the Spring as pruning stimulates new growth that will be much more susceptible to frosts and any current growth will give some protection against the cold. Some salvias, Penstemon, and hardy fuchsias should be treated in the same way. A good mulch (5-10 cm) of garden compost or leaf mould around their base will be the best way to help over-winter these perennials as well as any dahlias or begonias that have not been lifted.
If there is a need to make space for winter bedding and spring-flowering bulbs, the tops of herbaceous perennials and any annuals can be cleared now or once they are blackened by the first frosts. These stems are, however, good habitats for overwintering beneficial insects, they help to protect the soil and crowns of plants from the cold, and many stems do look attractive and architectural throughout the winter, so don’t be in too much of a hurry to clear things up if you don’t need to.
As the last of the leaves fall from the deciduous trees in the garden, it is important to gather them up regularly to prevent them from smothering lawns and small plants or becoming a dangerous slip hazard on paths. They will make amazing compost or mulch for next year, so don’t just throw them away. Tie in wall trained shrubs and climbers to prevent wind damage and lightly prune roses to reduce root damage by wind-rock where top-heavy plants are pulled out the ground by the wind over the winter months. Roses will be pruned again in late Winter, so don’t be too fussy now – this is just to stop top-heavy plants from becoming dislodged.
In the vegetable garden harvest and enjoy root crops and brassicas – a frost on parsnips will help turn more of the starches in the roots into sugars, making them even sweeter. Indoors, stop watering any succulents or cacti and reduce watering of most houseplants - with the light levels being very low, plants will not be growing and will not need regular watering. They will usually be much happier kept a bit too dry than a bit too wet over the winter.
If you’re buying a Poinsettia, remember that they don’t like draughts, chills, or being overwatered. Be wary of buying plants positioned near a draughty door of a shop, and once home, give them lots of light during the day and don’t trap them behind a curtain on a cold windowsill overnight or they will drop all their leaves.
Finally, it’s not too late to plant spring bulbs. Tulips especially, are best planted now once the soil temperature has dropped below 10°C to avoid the fungal disease ‘Tulip Fire’ caused by Botrytis tulipae. Whilst it’s harder to be motivated to get out in the garden when the days are so short and it’s cold and damp, doing a bit of work on the brighter days, will pay dividends next year.
Astronomical Information for November
Make space for winter bedding
Gather leaves before they smother the lawn
Frost on Kale
Club Lunch 2027 – Sunday 31st January
Our ever-popular Club Lunch will be on Sunday 31st January and we will be returning to the Hog’s Back Hotel, just south of Guildford on the A31. Timings for the lunch are arrival from 12 noon for a 12.30pm service. This is an open social event, so you are welcome to bring partners or friends. The cost will be £32 for a two-course menu or £38 for the three-course menu, including tea or coffee and service. We will start to collect names, money, and menu choices (see the end of this Newsletter) at the November Club meeting.
Beautiful Berries
As the rain of coloured leaves finishes, we are often left with the beauty of winter berries that continue to brighten the garden through winter, creating a striking contrast against the bare stems or contrasting against evergreen foliage. These shrubs and trees make valuable additions to the garden’s winter palette, but also to the many animals, birds, and insects that rely on these sources of food over the winter months.
There are many plant varieties to choose from that can provide this diversity of berries. The red berries of holly, Ilex aquifolium, is probably the most recognised berry, along with the red, orange, and yellow fruits of firethorn, Pyracantha. Cotoneaster provides many small red berries and is especially useful for covering walls, banks or difficult slopes. The beautyberry, Callicarpa bodinieri, is always a talking point in the garden with its striking violet-purple fruits looking almost artificially painted. Of course, some of the favourites of the summer such as roses and apples can also produce hips or crab apples that bring colour, texture, or general interest into the garden.
Most berry-producing shrubs are straightforward to grow and are tolerant of a wide range of soil types. Holly will thrive in deep shade so is useful underneath the canopy of other trees. Holly plants are dioecious, so only female plants carry berries and will require a suitable male pollinator nearby for a good display. Pyracantha prefers a sunny or partially shaded position and can be trained against a wall or fence, while cotoneasters vary from compact ground-covering plants to substantial shrubs and small trees. However, with a little planning, winter berries can do much more than brighten a gloomy day – they can bring movement, colour, and life to the garden at precisely the time we need them most.
Holly
Callicarpa
Pyracantha
And Finally …
It is the Surrey Horticultural Federation Annual Inter-Club Quiz on Sunday 1st November at 2.30pm in East Horsley Village Hall (KT24 6QT). Unfortunately, we have not been able to pull a team together this year, but everyone is welcome to attend as a spectator and participate as an individual in the quiz. More details of the AGM and quiz are in the new Federation Late Autumn Newsletter.
The last few Club Calendars, priced just £10, will be available at our November meeting, or you can email us to reserve one for you. We will also be starting to collect Club membership for 2027 – it is just £15 per person for the year.
With all these strong winds, I’m a bit worried about the caravan in my garden.
I didn’t have one yesterday...
Tim Bonnert, November 2026
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