Gardens will be colourful in spring when 1 flower is planted now

Gardeners have been told to plant one flower now to make sure their gardens burst with colour in spring next year. Many gardeners across the UK might be taking a back seat now as the weather gets colder and winter fast approaches. But experienced gardeners know that the work in your garden never really stops. Even though we aren't getting as much sunshine and flowers aren't blooming the way they do in spring and summer, there are still several jobs that need to be done in autumn and winter.

As per usual, the Royal Horticultural Society shares its list of gardening jobs to get done every month. The society lists several garden jobs in order of priority in its current November round-up. While they recommend clearing up fallen leaves and raising containers onto pot feet to prevent waterlogging, the other major job to be completed involves a certain type of flower that should be planted now so it blooms in spring 2026. You should get your tulip bulbs planted now before November is out.

It is best to get this done as soon as possible, as the weather will only get colder as the weeks pass by in November. "Plant in autumn for a colourful spring show," the RHS says. "Choose from short varieties for pots, taller stems for borders or small-bloomed species for naturalising in lawns."

Planting tulips right now, before winter arrives, will allow the flowers to establish roots before conditions get more hostile. The experts at Norfoilk Tulip explained this further.

They revealed: "You can plant tulip bulbs from September, but mid-October to November is thought to be the optimum time as the colder conditions reduce the risk of the fungal disease tulip fire. If you've not got around to planting tulip bulbs by late November, don't worry, you can get away with planting them as late as December, or even January - they should still bloom in spring."

To plant tulips, space their bulbs at least two times their width apart and at a depth of two to three times their height. You should dig organic matter into your soil, such as leaf mould, well-rotted manure or garden compost, to encourage healthy growth.

As well as planting tulip bulbs, there are other important jobs to get done in your garden in November. For example, you should prune roses to prevent wind-rock.

Additionally, you should plant out winter bedding, cover brassicas with netting if pigeons are a problem, and insulate outdoor containers from frost.