What would you like to sow?

November is a month when the garden really begins to settle into winter, but there are still a few things you can sow. With shorter days, colder temperatures and the first frosts arriving, it's a good time to focus on hardy crops that can withstand the winter and give you a head start on next year's growing season.

Try broad beans, hardy peas, winter lettuces, lamb's lettuce and spinach. Garlic can also be planted now, along with overwintering onion sets. If you have a greenhouse, polytunnel or cold frame, you can continue sowing hardy salad leaves such as rocket, mizuna and mustard greens, giving you a welcome supply of fresh leaves through the colder months. Growth will be slower at this time of year, but a little protection can make all the difference.

It's a good time for flowers and wildflowers too. Hardy annuals such as cornflowers, calendula and nigella can be autumn sown, while wildflower seeds such as yellow rattle benefit from experiencing natural winter conditions before germinating.