Before the change (morning), flower day:
LANDSCAPING : Early morning light catches the last of the Full Moon’s glow — a brief flower window worth using well. Cut chrysanthemum stems for a vase before the dew lifts; they will last longer harvested at this moment. Check that box hedges trimmed last month have healed cleanly, and clear any clippings still lying at the base to discourage fungal build-up.
After the change, leaf day:
VEGETABLE PATCH : A leaf day on a waning gibbous moon suits leafy sowing beautifully — conditions favour strong germination and lush growth. Draw shallow drills 0.5 cm deep and sow rocket, spacing seeds 2 cm apart in rows 20 cm apart; thin later to 10 cm once seedlings are established. Alongside, open a drill at 0.5 cm for chervil, seeds 2 cm apart in rows 25 cm, and thin to 10 cm — it thrives in the cooling temperatures of early autumn. Spinach deserves a row too: sow 2 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, rows 30 cm, and thin to 8 cm; it will stand well into winter. Under cover, start a module tray of kale at 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, ready to plant out at 50 cm spacing when the seedlings are sturdy. Finish by spraying established leafy beds with a diluted horsetail decoction to strengthen cell walls ahead of the damper weeks to come. In Mediterranean gardens, sorrel sown now will provide generous pickings right through the mild winter months.