LANDSCAPING : A flower day under a waxing crescent — the ascending moon encourages energy to rise toward blooms and buds. Sow pansy seeds under cover in trays, pressing them just 0.3 cm deep with seeds 2 cm apart; they’ll reward you with cheerful colour by late spring / If you have a sheltered spot with ericaceous soil, plant a camellia now — choose light shade to protect delicate petals from morning frost burn / Rhododendrons benefit from the same attention: lay a generous permanent mulch of pine bark around the base to retain moisture and keep roots cool.
ORCHARD : Bare-root raspberry canes are still available and February suits planting well — set them 50 cm apart, firm the soil carefully around the roots, and cut canes back to about 25 cm to encourage strong new growth from the base / Grapevines can also go in now before bud break: choose a sunny, sheltered wall and prepare the soil with compost worked in generously / If you have a quince tree, a light formative prune now while dormant will open the canopy and improve fruiting later in the season.