Late November in Upstate NY has a very particular feeling.

The garden is quiet. The colors are muted. And yet—this is one of our favorite times to walk the space. Here in Zone 6A Upstate NY, November is when the garden stops performing and starts revealing itself.

At the end of every month, we take you on a detailed tour of our half-acre garden, and this November walk happens the weekend before Thanksgiving. It feels fitting. There’s a strong sense of gratitude this time of year—for the plants that thrived, the lessons learned, and for everyone who followed along with us this season.

So let’s take a walk.

A Garden Stripped Down to Structure

The back terrace looks nothing like it did in summer. Annuals are gone, perennials have collapsed, and everything has shifted into soft grays, beiges, and browns. And honestly? That’s what makes this tour special.

Late fall is when:

• Evergreen form takes center stage
• Branch structure becomes visible
• Future pruning decisions start to reveal themselves

This is the season when good garden design really shows.

Roses That Refuse to Quit

Even in late November, we still have roses hanging on—especially in containers like our Karema planter, where Rise Up Lilac Days is still pushing buds. It’s always a reminder of just how tough roses really are.

Cold weather doesn’t mean the garden is finished—it’s just slowing down.

Container Hydrangeas & Overwintering in Zone 6A

One of the big to-dos still on our list is moving container hydrangeas into the garage.

Our Cascade Fairytrail® Green hydrangeas are part of the bigleaf family, which means they bloom on old wood. If you look closely, you can already see next year’s flowers set in the buds.

Because:

• We’re right on the edge of hardiness
• They’re planted in containers
• And winter root freeze is the real risk

These will be moved into an unheated garage once fully dormant. Leaves are dropped, growth has stopped—they’re ready.

What We Leave Outside (And Why)

Not everything needs fussing.

Our elevated beds with blueberries and strawberries stay put all winter and handle it just fine. Metal garden structures stay out as well. We’ve learned that a little rust is easily fixed with spray paint—and there’s nowhere else to put them anyway.

Gardening is always a balance between ideal and realistic.

Evergreens Shine in November

This is the moment evergreen lovers wait for.

With deciduous plants bare, trees like our Japanese white pine finally get their spotlight. Its slow growth, sculptural form, swirled bi-colored needles, and gorgeous cones make it one of our favorite trees in the entire garden.

Nearby, the Monty Blue spruce absolutely glows. This Eley introduction gets more intensely blue as winter progresses and will eventually reach about 8 feet tall. Evergreens don’t truly stop growing—they keep photosynthesizing all winter, quietly storing energy for spring.

And yes—we plan for their future size. Sprinter boxwoods nearby give us flexibility if things ever feel tight.

Boxwood Hedges & Long-Term Vision

This garden space was planted in 2022, and now—finally—it’s starting to show maturity.

Our Sprinter boxwoods are nearly ready to become real hedges instead of individual shapes. We’ve loved the spheres, but we’re excited to start shearing them into clean, squared hedges next year. Less fuss. More structure.

Hydrangeas, Snow & Smart Fall Cuts

In a snowy, wet climate like ours, structure protection matters.

Our smooth hydrangeas (which bloom on new wood) are cut back in fall to just below hip height. This prevents heavy snow from collecting on branches and collapsing plants to the ground.

Panicle hydrangeas like Quick Fire and Pinky Winky are fully deadheaded for the same reason—preserving the strong framework they’ve built over the years.

Late Fall Is the Best Time to Study Trees

Without leaves, trees tell the truth.

We love walking the garden now and identifying:

• Crossing branches
• Congestion points
• Awkward growth that needs spring pruning

Our weeping Ruby Falls redbud and Japanese maples are perfect examples. Some branches are already flagged mentally for spring cleanup, when we can prune with intention instead of guesswork.

Clearance Plants & Garden Patience

Some of the most dramatic parts of our garden started as $5 clearance plants.

Panicle hydrangeas that now anchor entire beds were once struggling, unhappy finds. Watching them mature over five or six years has been one of the most rewarding parts of gardening.

Gardens are not built in a season—they’re built over time.

Winter Interest: Berries, Bark & Color

November is when bark and berries finally get their moment.

• Winterberry holly lights up shady areas
• River birch and Himalayan birch show off peeling, multicolored bark
• Red twig dogwoods hint at the color still to come

These are the plants that make winter gardens feel alive, even when everything else is asleep.

Deer, Damage & Realistic Solutions

Like many suburban gardeners, deer pressure shapes a lot of our decisions.

Rather than installing a harsh vinyl fence along our berm, we’re:

• Using temporary fencing
• Planting deer-resistant evergreens
• Building toward a living, natural screen

It’s slower—but it’s also more beautiful.

Looking Ahead With Gratitude

This November tour ends the same way the season does—with reflection.

We planted hundreds of plants this year. We learned. We adjusted. And we’re proud of what this garden is becoming.

Even as snow starts to fall, there’s excitement brewing—for spring bulbs already planted, for trees settling into their roles, and for another year of growth ahead.

Thanks for walking the garden with us 🌱

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