ORCHARD : Today the moon reaches apogee — its farthest point from Earth — making this a quieter, more reflective day in the garden. Rather than pushing new growth, focus on care and observation. Walk among your fruit trees — apple tree, pear tree, quince tree, cherry tree — and check ties and stakes loosened by winter winds; loosen any that are cutting into bark before spring growth swells the wood / Mulch the base of raspberry canes and currant bushes with a 5–6 cm layer of composted wood chip, keeping material 10 cm clear of the stems to discourage rot / If you have a grapevine or fig tree, inspect the structure now while the wood is still bare: note any crossing or rubbing branches to address at the next favourable window.
LANDSCAPING : A calm morning is perfect for stepping back and assessing. Scan your roses for wind-rocked roots — press the soil back firmly around the base if any have lifted — and check clematis and wisteria ties along walls and pergolas, easing anything too tight / Hydrangea beds benefit from a generous mulch of leaf mould today; it retains moisture as temperatures start to climb and feeds the root zone slowly / Heather and rhododendron patches deserve a light hand-weeding now, before spring flushes their growth — disturb the soil as little as possible around their shallow roots. In Mediterranean gardens, the olive tree and oleander can receive a light tidy of dead wood, keeping cuts small and clean.