ORCHARD : Before midday, a fruit day invites you to tend your fruiting trees and shrubs with care. Walk the rows of your raspberry canes and check every tie — loosen any that have tightened over winter and reattach them firmly so new growth won’t snap in a spring gust. Around apple trees and pear trees, pull back any old mulch that has compacted, aerate the surface lightly with a fork, then top up with a fresh 5 cm layer of well-rotted compost, keeping it well clear of the trunk. Currant bushes and blackcurrant benefit from a similar treatment: a generous mulch now retains moisture as temperatures climb and feeds the soil biology through the season.
VEGETABLE PATCH : After midday, the day shifts to a root day — a quieter, more grounding energy that suits observation and maintenance rather than active cultivation. Walk your beds and note where early sowings are taking hold: lettuce seedlings in particular can be checked for spacing. Artichoke offsets planted last week deserve a gentle look — firm in any that frost may have loosened, pressing soil snugly around the base. Potato beds can be earthed up lightly if the first shoots are just emerging, protecting tender growth from any late cold snap. In heavier soils, a light hoe between rows improves drainage and warms the surface faster.
LANDSCAPING : A good afternoon to step back and observe your ornamental beds with fresh eyes. Wisteria supports can be checked and any loose ties adjusted before the weight of new growth puts them under pressure. Rose bushes planted bare-root over winter can be given a mulch of compost around the base — 5 cm is enough to protect shallow roots and keep weeds at bay through April.