VEGETABLE PATCH : Before the evening sign change, a leaf day stretches through most of the afternoon — sow dill directly where it will grow, pressing seeds 1 cm deep and 2 cm apart, in rows 30 cm wide; thin later to 20 cm. Parsley can go in alongside: 1 cm deep, seeds 2 cm apart, rows 25 cm — it is slow to germinate but rewards patience with months of harvest, and late May soil temperatures help it along. Both crops benefit from a foliar spray of diluted nettle tea after sowing to give young seedlings a gentle nitrogen boost. In Mediterranean or very sunny gardens, a little shade cloth over newly sown rows keeps the soil from drying out before germination.
LANDSCAPING : After the evening sign change, the day shifts to a fruit type — a good window for bud or cleft grafting on apple tree, pear tree, cherry tree, or plum tree if you have young rootstocks ready. Work with a clean, sharp knife and bind the union snugly with grafting tape; keep the graft out of direct sun for the first few days. Grapevine side shoots can be pinched back to two leaves beyond the last flower cluster, directing energy into fruit set. Check wisteria too: any long whippy shoots that have grown since the spring prune can be shortened to five or six leaves now to keep the framework tidy and encourage flowering buds for next year.