VEGETABLE PATCH : A leaf day on a waning gibbous moon — the garden is still generous, and the soil responds well. Draw fine drills 1 cm deep and sow corn salad, spacing seeds 2 cm apart in rows 20 cm apart; this hardy little green thrives in cooler temperatures and will crop well into winter. Swiss chard goes in 2 cm deep, seeds 5 cm apart, rows 40 cm — a foliar spray of horsetail decoction after sowing helps strengthen seedlings against autumn dampness. Chicory is worth sowing too, 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart; it tolerates light frosts and extends harvests considerably.
LANDSCAPING : Strawberry runners planted out now at 30 cm apart, crowns flush with the soil, will establish roots before the first frosts and fruit reliably next summer. A light trim of box hedging keeps it tidy through winter; collect and dispose of all clippings to reduce blight pressure.