VEGETABLE PATCH : New Moon energy — a fresh start for fruiting crops. With a rising moon and a fruit day, this is a strong moment to sow beans 3 cm deep, seeds 5 cm apart, in rows 40 cm wide; they’ll germinate with real vigour over the coming days. Peas deserve a spot alongside them: sow 3 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, rows 40 cm. If you have a warm corner or a cold frame, push broad bean seeds 5 cm deep, 10 cm apart, in rows 40 cm — they’ll establish quickly before summer heat arrives. In heavier soils, add a handful of sharp sand to each sowing station to improve drainage and prevent rotting.
ORCHARD : A fruit day with a New Moon is a genuine ally for the orchard. Check raspberry canes for any weak or damaged stems and remove them cleanly at the base to concentrate energy into strong, fruiting shoots. Currant bushes and blackcurrant benefit from a deep watering around the root zone right now — not overhead, but directly at the base. If you grow a fig tree in a sheltered spot, this is a good moment to pinch the tips of young shoots to encourage branching and a better fruit set later in the season.
LANDSCAPING : Wisteria trained along a wall or pergola will be carrying its last blooms about now — once the flowers fade, shorten the long whippy shoots back to five or six leaves to keep the framework tidy and set the stage for winter pruning. Lavender planted in well-drained, sunny soil will reward you with a long flowering season; water sparingly and never let the roots sit wet.