VEGETABLE PATCH : Loosen a bed to 25 cm with a fork and rake in a bucket of mature compost per square metre before the evening sign change — root day conditions reward careful soil preparation. Settle carrot seedlings from modules at 5 cm in the row with 25 cm between rows, firming gently around each root. Parsnip thinnings can also be done now: remove the weaker seedlings to leave one plant every 10 cm in the row, rows 30 cm apart. On heavier soils, work in a little sharp sand alongside the compost to give roots a clean, stone-free run.
ORCHARD : Strawberry runners waiting in small pots are ready for a permanent bed — work in a bucket of compost per metre of row, then plant each runner 30 cm apart with the crown sitting exactly at soil level. Black salsify transplants can go in too before the change: firm contact with the soil is everything at this stage.
LANDSCAPING : After the evening sign change, the day shifts to a flower day — a fine moment to turn attention to ornamental plants. Wisteria has been putting out vigorous summer laterals; pinch each one back to five or six leaves from the base to channel energy into next year’s flowering spurs. Lavender that has finished blooming deserves a light trim now, avoiding old wood entirely. Clear any dead stems at the base of hydrangea to improve air circulation around the developing buds.