VEGETABLE PATCH : The waning crescent is almost gone — tomorrow brings the new moon, so today’s descending moon favours root work above all else. Before the evening sign change, harvest any remaining parsnips or celeriac still in the ground; their flavour only deepens after a frost or two, but lifting them now lets you store them safely. Lay them in wooden crates lined with dry straw, roots pointing inward, away from light and moisture. Jerusalem artichoke tubers can be dug as needed from now until early spring — use a fork and work outward from the clump to avoid bruising. If you have bare patches, plant tulip bulbs 15 cm deep and 10 cm apart before the ground hardens.
ORCHARD : Bare-root season is just beginning to stir. A walnut tree or hazel planted this week in well-prepared, deep soil will establish quietly through winter with almost no extra attention — dig the hole wide, lay the roots out flat, and backfill without compacting too hard. Currant bushes and blackcurrants can go in now too, spaced 1.2 m apart; a generous layer of compost worked into the planting hole will reward you for years.
LANDSCAPING : After the sign change this evening, the day shifts toward a flower character — a good cue to plant tulip and daffodil bulbs in ornamental borders, or to settle in a hellebore in a shaded corner where it will bloom reliably each winter. Mulch the base of any recently planted shrubs with a 5 cm layer of wood chips to insulate roots through the cold months ahead.