Peter Dowdall: How to enjoy your room outside this winter
As Us Are World Darker File Into Evenings Shorter Transitioning Days, Mode The Winter Picture Rest Garden Into Shifts
There's something inherently peaceful about November in the garden. The rush and vibrancy of summer is over, and the urgency of the next spring season is still months away. This quiet allows space for creativity and contemplation.
Spend time simply being in your garden. There is such beauty out there right now. Perhaps it's not as showy and obvious as summer blooms but have a look at the way the light changes throughout the day filtering through the bare branches of trees, notice the frost patterns on leaves, and admire the intricacy of the spider webs highlighted by the icy dew. Let the garden remind you of the beauty in stillness.
As we leave November and head towards the madness of December, it is a good time for reflection, planning, and reconnecting with the soul of the garden. Now, is a perfect time to take stock of the year gone by, and prepare for the new one.
As plants settle into their dormant period, it’s the perfect time to think about what worked well and what didn’t as now and over the next few months is the right time to move plants.
Gardening is as much about nurturing the soul as it is about nurturing plants. November’s reflective nature makes it a special time to connect with this truth. By balancing reflection, planning, and practical tasks, you can cultivate not only a beautiful garden but also a sense of inner peace and purpose.
As the month unfolds, remember that the garden’s cycles are a mirror of our own lives. Just as the earth rests and renews, so too can we find renewal in this season. Embrace November as a time to reflect on the past, look forward to the future, and be grateful for the quiet joy of the present.
I always recommend keeping a gardening journal. Writing down your thoughts, observations, and ideas can be very helpful at this time of the year.
Taking photos has never been easier than it is in the modern world and photographing during the seasons will pay dividends now as you prepare for next year.
However much you may think in June or July that you will remember where something is or how well it performed, you won’t. That’s where the photos will help, by reminding you of how the garden looked during the seasons.
Note the flowers that bloomed beautifully, the trees and shrubs that showed great colour and equally, those that didn’t, that may have been less than what you expected or too vigorous for their space.
Reflection is an essential part of gardening. It connects us to the earth and the universe and reminds us that every season, like every life, has its highs and lows.
November is a month that embodies transition. The days grow shorter, the air turns cooler, and the garden shifts into rest mode. The garden transitions from growth to dormancy and historically, religiously and culturally, it is associated with transition to the afterlife.
Speaking for myself, I do feel very much part of and connected to, the garden and in the moment, during November and December, whether I’m raking leaves, pruning back shrubs or simply sitting with a warm cup of tea in the garden.
Now is also a good time to critically appraise the garden's design and structure as it is nearly, if not totally, bare and you can now see the skeleton of the garden.
Take a good look at your garden’s structure. Are there areas that could use more balance, colour, or texture? Sketch out ideas for rearranging beds, adding paths, or creating new focal points.
Consider adding winter-interest plants, like evergreens, berried plants or ornamental grasses. These elements won't only make your garden more interesting during the winter but will also help birds and wildlife, giving them places of refuge and sources of food, thus enhancing biodiversity in your own little outdoor room.
I often see gardening articles and online posts advising us to clean up the garden in November but I would temper that advice by urging you not to clean up too much. A pristine garden does not necessarily, a healthy garden make.
Obviously, it is important to clean paths and paved areas so that they don’t become slippy and a safety hazard but don’t remove fallen leaves from the beds and borders. Allow these to decompose into the soil. As they do this, they are feeding earthworms, bacteria, fungi and other beneficial soil microbes which are all essential for a healthy garden.
Log piles and even piles of hedge trimmings can be left in areas as ideal places for hedgehogs, other small mammals and many insects, to overwinter. Cleaning your garden to within an inch of spotless removes these important resources from them.
When the next month has passed, we are heading headlong into another spring once more, prepare for that now by planting spring flowering bulbs, such as alliums, tulips, crocuses and more.
- Got a gardening question for Peter Dowdall? Email gardenquestions@examiner.ie