LANDSCAPING : A quiet frost on the grass this morning — the kind that makes you want to get outside and do something worthwhile. With the ascending Waxing Crescent lending upward energy to above-ground growth, flowering shrubs and ornamental climbers are well placed to receive attention today. Prune back climbing roses (Rosa) lightly to remove dead or crossing stems, cutting just above an outward-facing bud at a 45° angle to discourage disease / Tie in the long arching canes of winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) to their supports — those cheerful yellow blooms need good air circulation to perform their best / Deadhead any lingering hellebore (Helleborus niger) foliage that looks tatty; removing old leaves now exposes the emerging flower buds and reduces botrytis risk / In milder coastal gardens, take hardwood cuttings of forsythia (Forsythia × intermedia) and deutzia (Deutzia scabra), 20–25 cm long, inserting them 10 cm deep in gritty compost in a sheltered cold frame.
VEGETABLE PATCH : The ascending moon keeps sap moving upward — a genuine ally for anything growing above the soil line. Under cover, sow sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) in deep root trainers (at least 15 cm) for early spring planting out, spacing one seed per cell / Pot up forced chicory crowns (Cichorium intybus ‘Witloof’) into tall 15 cm pots of damp sand, excluding all light with an inverted pot to encourage pale, tender chicons over the next 3–4 weeks / Check overwintering kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) and purple sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica): firm any plants that frost has lifted from the soil, pressing roots back in firmly with your boot / In cold frames, water spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and mâche (Valerianella locusta) sparingly — waterlogged roots in winter are far more damaging than a little dry spell.
INDOORS : A good moment to turn your attention to the windowsill. Pot up a few paperwhite narcissus (Narcissus papyraceus) bulbs into gravel and water — placed in a cool, bright room they will flower in 4–6 weeks, filling the house with scent / Check stored dahlia tubers and begonia corms for any signs of shrivelling or rot; dust affected spots with sulphur powder and allow to dry before returning to their box of barely damp vermiculite.