VEGETABLE PATCH : The sign changed just before dawn, and almost the entire day unfolds as a leaf day — perfect timing for leafy crops under a descending waxing crescent. Plant out corn salad seedlings 5 cm apart in rows 20 cm apart; their compact rosettes will quietly thicken through winter frosts. Spinach transplants go in at 8 cm in the row, rows 30 cm apart — firm the soil gently around each one with your knuckles to eliminate air gaps. Kale and cabbage planted out now, 50 cm apart in rows 60 cm wide, will anchor themselves before the ground stiffens. In mild areas, chervil can still go in under a cloche, pushed just 0.5 cm into the surface.
LANDSCAPING : A good moment to settle in hedging plants and foliage shrubs while the soil still holds some warmth. Rhododendrons, camellias and hydrangeas planted today will have weeks to push fine roots before the first hard frosts — use ericaceous compost for the first two, and lay a 5–7 cm bark mulch over the root zone immediately. Clematis loves a cool root run: plant it 10 cm deeper than the pot rim to encourage basal shoots. Finish by topping up compost around established box and bamboo.
ORCHARD : Bare-root season is in full swing. A hazel or walnut tree planted this week in a generous hole, roots spread wide without cramping, will need nothing more than a good watering-in and a layer of mulch kept clear of the trunk. Quince and chestnut trees are equally at home in the ground right now — choose a spot with good drainage and room to breathe.