VEGETABLE PATCH : Cold fingers, damp soil — a pure root day calls for quiet, methodical work. Garlic cloves planted now, 3 cm deep with the tip facing up and spaced 12 cm apart, will establish slowly and be ready for a full harvest next summer. Black radish is worth harvesting before hard frosts set in — store them unwashed in a wooden crate layered with slightly damp sand. Leeks still standing can be lifted and heeled in a sheltered corner for easier access through winter mud.
ORCHARD : Bare-root season is properly underway. A quince tree planted this weekend in well-drained soil will reward you in just a few years — dig the hole wide rather than deep, spread the roots carefully, and backfill with a mix of topsoil and compost. Hazel goes in now too; mulch the base of all newly planted trees with a 10 cm layer of wood chip to insulate roots through the cold.
LANDSCAPING : Tulip bulbs planted 15 cm deep and 10 cm apart will sit quietly underground until spring — add coarse grit beneath each bulb on heavy soil to improve drainage. Hyacinth bulbs go in at 12 cm depth; daffodil bulbs at the same depth, in informal clusters for a more natural effect come March.