November

Mulch. 

This is the time of year to mulch. Mulch garden beds, flower beds and pathways before the weather gets too gross to make this an enjoyable task.

 Collect or dead-head seed heads, if desired. 

Flowers and herbs like zinnias, echinacea, mint and lemon balm keep seed heads through winter. If you allow them to stay, the plant will self-seed, and new plants will pop up everywhere in the spring. However, seed heads are a critical source of wildlife food during winter. Leave them if you like (typically I do— you can always pull up unwanted seedlings), but if you’d rather have more rigid control over where plants pop up, collect those seed heads now.

 Put out bird feeders. Watch the water in bird baths. 

Winter is the time that birds appreciate a little extra help finding food. Keep bird feeders well-stocked, and replace the water in bird baths if it freezes solid.

 Plant tulips. 

Cold weather and cold soils cut down on the diseases in the soil that can affect tulips. Other spring bulbs should already be in the ground, but tulips bring up the caboose of that particular train. Plant them when the soil is cold but not frozen.

 Protect winter plants from frost if needed. 

Winter vegetables, including brassicas, winter lettuce, and root vegetables may need some protection from frosts. If they get frostbitten, cover them with horticultural fleece, plastic sheeting, or cloches. 

Raise containers and pots off the ground. 

If they aren’t already raised, raise containers and pots onto feet (or just bricks) to prevent them becoming waterlogged (which also cuts down on pots cracking in the freezing weather). 

Look at hardscaping. 

This is the ideal time to focus on hardscaping — paths, fencing, beds, edging, sheds, greenhouses, cold frames and the like. The ground isn’t yet frozen, so a construction project is feasible, and the weather isn’t usually terrible yet. Get it done while you can. 

Harvest livestock & other meat. 

Now is the best time to harvest livestock, especially larger animals like hogs. The weather is cool enough to make the work pleasant and safe. November also traditionally opens the hunting season for large game, particularly deer, which can last into January.