VEGETABLE PATCH : Fresh dew on the soil this morning — the waxing crescent is ascending and the leaf day holds until evening, making this a rewarding window for leafy sowings. Chives thrive under cover right now: press seeds 1 cm deep, 2 cm apart in a warm module tray, to be planted out later at 15 cm in the row, rows 25 cm apart. Mint divisions can go straight into a pot or a contained bed — firm the roots in well and water gently. Celery appreciates a careful sowing under cover in a sheltered tray: 0.3 cm deep, seeds 2 cm apart, then plant out to 30 cm in the row, rows 40 cm once conditions allow. If you have a polytunnel, artichoke offsets planted now at 1 m each way will settle in quickly while the soil is warming.
INDOORS : A few drops of diluted nettle tea applied as a foliar spray will give seedlings a gentle nitrogen boost — work on a calm, dry afternoon so the leaves can absorb it fully. Check lemon tree and oleander pots: if roots are circling the base, a slightly larger container with fresh compost will do them good before warmer days arrive.
LANDSCAPING : After the sign change this evening, the day briefly turns to a fruit type — a short but real window for checking on strawberry runners or giving the fig tree a light tidy in its warm corner. Wisteria ties worth inspecting too: secure any new growth before it winds where it shouldn’t.