A day to remember

What a difference a day makes! Toby explains how to capitalise on the extra daylight the spring equinox brings

- Toby Buckland

I’M reading a book on anti-gravity – honestly, it’s impossible to put down! But seriously, I have been pondering the wonders of the solar system this week, largely because the angle of the planet below our toes has entered the perfect section of its solar orbit for sowing seeds.

March 20 is a key date in the gardening calendar – it marks the ‘spring equinox’ when, thanks to the earth’s slanted spin, the sun’s influence crosses the equator to favour the Northern hemisphere. It’s the only day (apart from September 22, the autumn equinox) that the sun rises due east and sets due west wherever you stand on the planet – but perhaps more noticeable is the change to plants.