LANDSCAPING : Before 16h57 (UTC), flower energy is at its peak — a fine window to get ornamental bulbs and bedding plants settled before the shift. Plant out spring-flowering pansies (Viola wittrockiana) in borders or containers, spacing them 20–25 cm apart in well-drained, humus-rich soil; press each rootball firmly so no air pockets remain beneath / Set out biennial sweet Williams (Dianthus barbatus) at 25 cm intervals — their spicy, clove-like scent next June is worth every minute spent now / Divide and replant established clumps of autumn-blooming Nerine bowdenii, keeping the neck of each bulb just at soil level; they resent deep planting and reward shallow positioning with more generous flowering / In mild or Mediterranean areas, direct-sow larkspur (Consolida ajacis) thinly in a prepared bed: autumn-sown seedlings overwinter as a rosette and bloom far earlier than spring-sown ones.
VEGETABLE PATCH : After 16h57 (UTC), the moon moves into leaf territory — shift your attention underground and toward foliage crops for the rest of the day. Transplant young winter lettuce seedlings (Lactuca sativa ‘Winter Density’ or ‘Rouge d’Hiver’) under a cold frame or fleece tunnel, 25 cm apart in rows 30 cm apart; the descending moon helps roots grip quickly / Sow spinach (Spinacia oleracea ‘Géant d’Hiver’) directly in place, 1 cm deep, in rows 20 cm apart — thin to 10 cm once germinated; cold slows growth but intensifies flavour / Transplant Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis) seedlings raised under cover, spacing at 30 cm; water in with a dilute seaweed solution (5 ml per litre) to reduce transplant stress / Check overwintering kale (Brassica oleracea ‘Nero di Toscana’) for aphid colonies on the undersides of leaves — a firm jet of water dislodges most without chemicals.