LANDSCAPING : A flower day under a descending Waning Gibbous moon — the energy is settling gently downward, and that quiet pull suits ornamental planting beautifully. Set out hardy pansy (‘Ultima Morpho’, ‘Delta Pure Yellow’) and polyanthus in prepared borders now, firming each plug in at 20–25 cm spacing with a trowel, then watering in well at the base to close any air pockets around the roots / Direct-sow annual larkspur (Consolida ajacis) and love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) where they are to flower — scatter thinly over raked soil, rake in lightly to 0.5 cm depth, and let the cool spring temperatures do the stratification work naturally / Wallflowers (‘Blood Red’, ‘Ivory White’) still in pots can be transplanted into gaps in the border; plant at the same depth as in the pot, 30 cm apart, for a dense, fragrant block / In Mediterranean gardens or warm microclimates, sow Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica) directly in a sunny, well-drained spot — it resents root disturbance, so direct sowing is the only reliable method.
VEGETABLE PATCH : The marigold bed can wait — but your edible flowers deserve attention too. Sow pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) in modules at 15–18°C, two seeds per cell at 1 cm depth, thinning to one seedling once germinated; transplant out at 30 cm spacing in 4–5 weeks / Nasturtium (‘Empress of India’, ‘Alaska’) can go directly into the ground in a sheltered spot or start in 9 cm pots indoors — both flowers and leaves are edible and they attract aphids away from neighbouring crops, a useful trick worth remembering / Borage (Borago officinalis) sown now in a sunny corner at 1 cm depth, thinning to 30 cm, will reward you with star-shaped blue flowers beloved by pollinators from late spring onward / Under cover, sweet violet (Viola odorata) seedlings can be pricked out into individual 8 cm pots and grown on at 12–15°C before hardening off in April.
INDOORS : Dahlias waiting in storage deserve a check — inspect tubers for any soft or shrivelled sections, dust any cuts with powdered sulphur, and set the healthiest ones into barely moist compost in 15 cm pots at 18–20°C to start them into growth. Begonia tubers (‘Non-Stop’ series) respond well to the same treatment: place them hollow-side up, barely covered, and keep the growing medium just moist until shoots emerge / Pelargonium cuttings taken last autumn should be showing strong growth by now — pot on into 12 cm containers using a free-draining mix (3 parts compost to 1 part perlite) to prevent root rot and encourage compact, floriferous plants.