LANDSCAPING : Soft winter light and an ascending moon approaching its First Quarter — above-ground flowering plants are responsive right now. Give your winter-flowering shrubs some attention: deadhead spent blooms on Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ and cut back any frost-damaged tips to a healthy node / Prune ornamental dogwoods (Cornus alba, Cornus sanguinea) by removing the oldest third of stems at ground level — this encourages vivid red and orange winter stems from the base / Check supports on wall-trained pyracantha and ceanothus; tie in any loose shoots with soft garden twine before winter winds cause splitting / In milder regions, pot up forced amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs into 15 cm containers using a well-draining loam-based compost, burying the bulb halfway for stability.
INDOORS : A good morning to tend what’s growing under glass or on the windowsill. Pinch out the growing tips of sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) sown in autumn once they reach 10 cm — this encourages bushy side shoots and stronger flowering stems come spring / Check cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) and winter-blooming primulas (Primula obconica, Primula vulgaris hybrids): water from below by setting pots in a shallow tray for 20 minutes, then drain fully to prevent crown rot / Pot on any rooted cuttings of pelargonium or fuchsia taken in autumn into 9 cm pots with a peat-free multipurpose mix; roots should be filling the plug before moving up / Wipe dust from the leaves of indoor plants — cleaner foliage captures more of December’s limited light, which genuinely improves photosynthesis during these short days.
VEGETABLE PATCH : With the ascending moon favouring above-ground growth, leafy crops and flowers in the kitchen garden deserve a look today. Under cover, check on overwintering claytonia (Montia perfoliata) and land cress (Barbarea verna): thin to 5 cm apart where crowded and harvest outer leaves to encourage fresh growth / Sow a short row of fast-growing mustard greens (Brassica juncea) and rocket (Eruca vesicaria) in a heated propagator or cold greenhouse — even at 8–10°C, germination takes 5–7 days and you’ll have cut-and-come-again leaves in three weeks / Check that fleece or cloches over overwintering spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) are well anchored; lift briefly on dry mornings to ventilate and prevent fungal issues beneath.