LANDSCAPING : A flower day under the descending moon — a good moment for settling roots rather than pushing top growth. Bare-root roses can go in now: dig a generous hole, mound the base, spread the roots outward and firm the soil well. Tulip bulbs still unplanted? Push them 15 cm deep, 10 cm apart before the ground hardens. Hellebores appreciate a shadier corner with moist soil — plant them now and they will reward you with late-winter blooms without ever needing to be moved again.
ORCHARD : Set in a quince tree or pear tree today, working compost into the planting hole and staking firmly against winter winds. Hazel and chestnut trees establish well at this time of year — mulch generously at the base, keeping material clear of the trunk. Currant bushes and blackcurrants go in 1.2 m apart; they need little fuss and root quickly in cool, damp conditions.
INDOORS : Lemon trees and oleanders should already be under frost-free cover. Water sparingly — once the compost surface is dry to the touch — and keep them in the brightest spot available to avoid weakening them through the darker months.