November Gardening Tips 2025

I was very fortunate to spend a few days in the Scottish Borders in October. I wondered if there would be any leaves left on the trees in the wake of Storm Amy. However, I was lucky and there was plenty of rich autumn colour to compliment the most beautiful scenery.

In our more southerly climbs there are still plenty of chilli, coffee and caramel colours in November as the leaves seem determined to go out in a blaze of glory.

So what causes leaves to fall in Autumn?  Basically it is a sort of specific ageing process.  Auxin is a plant hormone which is produced in leaves during the growing season.  In Autumn, auxin production reduces, permitting the gas ethylene to weaken the cell walls in the leaf stalk allowing leaves to fall.  Also, Chlorophyll which is the green pigment essential to photosynthesis (the manufacture of food by green plants), breaks down and the leaves change colour.

For leaf colour in the garden, the Acer family (the maple) is a good place to start.  Acer palmatum “Atropurpureum” (up to 20 foot) is a shrub or small tree which has a purple foliage which turns a vivid red in Autumn.  Acer japonicum is a larger subject with green foliage which turns red in Autumn.  Although the leaves of Acer davidii may turn orange or yellow at this time of year, it is often grown for its green and white branches.  To get the best Autumn colours from Acers requires neutral to acid conditions.  They also prefer a lightly shaded spot away from chill winds.

Cornus kousa is a dogwood that carries dark green leaves in Summer and which turn bright red or purple in Autumn. In the Spring they have lovely white flowers.

Amongst the climbers, the Japanese or Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) really shows off in Autumn.  This is a vigorous climber (up to 70 foot long) – not for the faint hearted but ideal for covering an awkward spot and tolerant of north and east facing aspects. 

But it is not only leaves that give Autumn its distinctive colours.  For brightly coloured fruits, different varieties of Cotoneaster will give a choice of yellow, orange and red, as will Pyracantha with its spiney stems to deter burglars.

Crab apples produce lovely downy fruits which make the most delicious jelly, ideal on hot buttered toast.  Malus “John Downie” produces large crab apples for preserve-making.  Malus “Golden Hornet” gives a larger crop of smaller more attractive fruit – they are less suitable for making jelly.

Autumn is a gorgeous time of year and if that list of natural, warm autumnal hues doesn’t appeal then there is simply no romance left in the world. I hope you enjoy a wonderful colourful month before we really start to think about the festive season.