Before the change (evening), leaf day:
VEGETABLE PATCH : The soil is still warm from a generous September sun — draw fine drills 0.5 cm deep and sow watercress, spacing seeds 2 cm apart in rows 20 cm apart; keep the bed consistently moist and it will reward you with crisp, peppery leaves well into the colder months. Follow with parsley at 1 cm deep, seeds 2 cm apart in rows 25 cm — a foliar spray of nettle tea after sowing gives seedlings a steady, mineral-rich start. Coriander goes in at 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart in rows 30 cm; tuck it into a sheltered spot or under fleece in cooler areas, as it appreciates a little protection once temperatures drop. Lettuce rounds out the bed nicely: draw a 0.5 cm drill, space seeds 2 cm apart in rows 30 cm, and thin later to 25 cm — autumn-sown plants tend to be slower but sweeter.
After the change, fruit day:
ORCHARD : Once the sign shifts this evening, attention turns naturally to woody fruiting plants. Walk the orchard and harvest any ripe quince — they should come away with a gentle twist and smell intensely floral when ready. Check currant bushes and blackcurrant for any dead wood to remove now, tidying the structure before autumn sets in fully. In Mediterranean climates, a fig tree can still be checked for late fruits worth picking before the first cool nights arrive.