LANDSCAPING : The ascending moon lifts sap toward stems and petals — a genuine invitation to work with flowering plants today. Set out pot-grown sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus ‘Rocket Mixed’) and stocks (Matthiola incana) into prepared beds, spacing plants 25–30 cm apart and pressing soil firmly around each rootball with your knuckles to eliminate air pockets / Sow cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’, ‘Sensation Mixed’) and nigella (Nigella damascena ‘Miss Jekyll’) directly in drills 0.5 cm deep, rows 30 cm apart — both self-thin beautifully and reward a little patience with weeks of colour / Deadhead tulips and late narcissus, cutting stems at the base but leaving foliage intact for at least six weeks so bulbs can replenish their energy reserves for next spring / In Mediterranean climates or sheltered south-facing borders, this is a fine moment to plant out gazania and osteospermum seedlings raised under cover — they thrive in the warmth already building in the soil.
VEGETABLE PATCH : After three days focused on root crops, the flower day brings a welcome shift — turn your attention to plants grown for their blooms or pods. Sow climbing French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Cobra’, ‘Blauhilde’) at the base of canes or wigwams, pushing seeds 4 cm deep and 15 cm apart: the soil should feel genuinely warm at that depth, not just at the surface / Direct-sow borage (Borago officinalis) and nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) at the edges of beds — both attract pollinators and their flowers are edible, making them doubly useful / Harden off courgette (Cucurbita pepo ‘Black Beauty’, ‘Astia’) and squash seedlings raised indoors by leaving them outside in a sheltered spot for a few hours each day this week, gradually extending exposure before transplanting next weekend / On heavy soils, delay bean sowing by a day or two if the ground still feels cold and claggy — waterlogged conditions at sowing depth cause seeds to rot before they can germinate.