LANDSCAPING : The winter garden reveals its quiet beauty today. With the waxing gibbous moon, now’s perfect for tidying up your winter-flowering shrubs. Gently prune winter jasmine and witch hazel, removing only damaged stems to preserve emerging buds. Collect fallen leaves around hellebores to showcase their delicate blooms and prevent disease spread. / Check your ornamental grasses for snow damage and lightly brush off any heavy accumulations that might be bending the stems.
INDOORS : Winter windowsills need special attention during these short days. Before 11:10 (UTC), focus on flowering houseplants like cyclamen, kalanchoe and African violets – remove spent blooms and rotate pots a quarter turn to prevent lopsided growth. Check soil moisture with your fingertip rather than following a rigid schedule – winter plants often need less water than we think. / After 11:10 (UTC), shift your attention to foliage plants like ferns, pothos, and spider plants – dust their leaves with a damp cloth to improve photosynthesis efficiency.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Before 11:10 (UTC), inspect any flowering crops in your winter garden. Check overwintering broad beans for early flower buds and protect them with cloches if frost threatens. / After 11:10 (UTC), leafy greens take priority. Examine winter spinach, kale and Asian greens under protective coverings, removing any yellowing leaves to prevent disease spread. In milder regions, consider sowing a small batch of winter lettuce under cloches for early spring harvest. Water sparingly and only during mid-day when temperatures are highest.