VEGETABLE PATCH : Dry soil crumbles cleanly between the fingers today — a root day under a waxing descending moon, and the ground is ready to work. Plant potato tubers 10 cm deep, 35 cm apart in rows 70 cm wide; if shoots are already showing, hill up existing rows with a draw hoe to protect them and encourage more tubers to form. Thin beetroot seedlings already in the ground to 10 cm in the row, giving each root space to swell evenly. Parsnip already established benefits from a light hoe between rows to break surface crust and improve root development.
LANDSCAPING : A steady light this morning suits root-day planting in the ornamental garden too. Dahlia tubers planted now at 10 cm deep, 60 cm apart in each direction will anchor well before the heat builds — choose a sheltered, sunny spot and add a shovelful of compost to each planting hole. Gladiolus corms can go in through June; stagger plantings every two weeks for a longer flowering season. Trim box hedging lightly and watch for signs of box moth — early detection makes all the difference.