VEGETABLE PATCH : Before the sign change this evening, the day runs as a leaf type — a good stretch of hours for tending leafy crops already under cover / Check leeks for any yellowing outer leaves and remove them cleanly; a light top-dressing of well-rotted compost worked around the base encourages steady growth / Cabbage plants overwintering in the bed will appreciate a tidy-up: strip off damaged outer leaves, firm any frost-lifted roots back into the soil, and lay a 5 cm mulch of straw around the base to hold warmth in / Corn salad in a cold frame benefits from careful weeding between rows — use a narrow hoe and work lightly to avoid disturbing shallow roots.
LANDSCAPING : After the sign change in the evening, the day shifts to a fruit type — a good moment to think ahead for your ornamental shrubs / Hydrangea stems still carry last year’s dried flowerheads: remove them now with clean secateurs just above the first plump bud / Camellia and rhododendron will thank you for a generous collar of ericaceous mulch — pine bark or leaf mould, 6–8 cm deep, kept just clear of the stem / Check winter jasmine stems tied to supports and tighten any loose ties before spring growth accelerates.
ORCHARD : Currant bush and blackcurrant benefit from a careful inspection now: remove any dead or crossing wood, cutting cleanly to an outward-facing bud / Grapevines still dormant are ready for their final winter pruning pass — keep two or three buds on each spur and collect prunings promptly to reduce disease pressure / Quince tree and hazel both appreciate a light formative cut at this stage; step back often to assess the overall shape before each cut.