Before the change (morning), flower day :
LANDSCAPING : Winter jasmine is still showing colour — right after its blooms fade, prune flowered shoots back to a strong bud and tie in loose stems to guide next season’s growth / Hellebores are quietly opening now; a light mulch of leaf mould around the base keeps roots cool and moist and shows off the flowers beautifully / Camellia buds are swelling: check the soil moisture, as dry roots at this stage can cause buds to drop before they open — water with lime-free water if the compost feels dry.
After the change, leaf day :
VEGETABLE PATCH : The afternoon shift suits leafy crops well. Under cover, sow spinach 2 cm deep with seeds 3 cm apart in trays or directly into a cold frame — once seedlings are established, thin to 8 cm in the row with rows 30 cm apart / Sorrel is a rewarding winter crop: sow 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, and thin later to 25 cm — its sharp, lemony flavour is welcome in cold-weather salads / Chives can go into module trays now, 1 cm deep, seeds 2 cm apart, to be planted out at 15 cm spacing once the frost relents / Kale benefits from a foliar spray of diluted horsetail decoction today — it strengthens cell walls and helps the plant resist lingering cold.
INDOORS : Parsley growing on a windowsill will push out fresh growth if you harvest from the outermost stems, cutting cleanly at the base without disturbing the centre of the plant.