VEGETABLE PATCH : The soil feels alive underfoot today — a fresh New Moon just passed yesterday evening, and the ascending moon draws energy downward into root systems, making this a genuinely productive window for root crops. Direct-sow carrots (Daucus carota ‘Nantes 2’, ‘Chantenay Red Core’) in rows 25 cm apart, raking the bed to a fine tilth and sowing thinly at 1 cm depth to reduce thinning work later / Sow parsnip (Pastinaca sativa ‘Tender and True’, ‘Gladiator’) in situ — these resent disturbance, so station-sow three seeds every 15 cm and thin to the strongest once germinated / Push radish (Raphanus sativus ‘French Breakfast’, ‘Sparkler’) seeds 1 cm deep between slower-growing rows as a catch crop; they’ll be ready in under four weeks / Sow scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica) and salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) now if you’ve been meaning to try them — both need a long season and reward patience with earthy, nutty flavour / On sandy soils, add a handful of well-rotted compost per metre of drill before sowing to improve moisture retention around developing roots.
LANDSCAPING : Dahlias planted last week will be settling their tubers — check that no frost has nipped emerging shoots overnight and earth up lightly if needed, drawing 5 cm of soil around the base for insulation / Divide established clumps of ornamental grasses (Miscanthus sinensis, Pennisetum alopecuroides) that have outgrown their space: use two back-to-back forks to lever apart the crown, replant outer sections at the same depth, and water in well / Plant out pot-grown agapanthus (Agapanthus africanus, A. ‘Headbourne Hybrids’) into well-drained beds, spacing plants 40–50 cm apart — in Mediterranean climates, a south-facing spot against a wall will reward you with bolder flower spikes come July.