VEGETABLE PATCH : A leaf day with an ascending moon — a good stretch for sowing leafy crops under cover. Try corn salad (1 cm deep, seeds 2 cm apart, rows 20 cm) and chervil (0.5 cm deep, seeds 2 cm apart, rows 25 cm) in modules or a cold frame; both germinate reliably in low autumn light. If you have spinach started a few weeks ago, thin seedlings to 8 cm apart — crowded plants are more prone to downy mildew. Harvest outer leaves of kale and swiss chard in the morning, when cell moisture is at its peak.
LANDSCAPING : Bare-root season is well into its stride — wisteria and clematis are worth planting now while the soil still holds warmth. Set the clematis crown 5 cm below soil level to protect against wilt, and fix a sturdy support for wisteria straight away. Hazel and quince tree are equally good candidates: finish each planting with a 7–8 cm mulch of wood chips to insulate roots through the cold months ahead.