VEGETABLE PATCH : The day shifts from a flower type in the morning to a leaf type — and the leaf hours are the longest. Once the sign change has passed, conditions are well suited for transplanting leafy crops under cover / Plant out lettuce seedlings 25 cm apart in the row, rows 30 cm apart, firming the soil gently around each root ball with your fingertips / Chives started in modules can go in now too, 15 cm apart, rows 25 cm — a handful of compost worked into each planting hole gives them a quiet boost / Spinach transplants settle in well on a leaf day; space them 8 cm apart, rows 30 cm, and water in with a fine rose to avoid disturbing fine roots. In heavier soils, raise the bed slightly to prevent waterlogging.
LANDSCAPING : Before the sign change — while the morning still carries flower energy — check over your hellebores and camellias: remove any tatty outer leaves at the base of hellebores to open up airflow, and deadhead spent camellia blooms before they rot against the stem / Winter jasmine that has finished its display can be pruned back now, shortening flowered shoots to two or three buds and tying in any loose stems / Hydrangeas benefit from having last year’s spent flower heads removed cleanly just above a fat, healthy bud — this keeps the framework tidy and lets light into the centre of the shrub.
ORCHARD : A waxing gibbous moon approaching full gives good vigour for planting bare-root specimens. Set a quince tree or a currant bush into well-prepared ground, spreading roots naturally and backfilling with a mix of topsoil and compost / Mulch the base of newly planted fruit trees with an 8–10 cm layer, keeping it clear of the trunk — this conserves moisture and moderates soil temperature as the season turns.