I feel a bit of an idiot e-mailing you for Sweetcorn trauma, but my next door neighbour is growing the stuff and very beautifully may I add. The problem we have got is we cannot find the Cobs! We know there is a really silly answer to this problem and would appreciate all the help you can give us.

Answer:

The tassels at the top of each plant are the male flowers and the female flowers are the "silks" down the stalk. The cobs will form from the female flowers so if you can see the silky female flowers then the cobs should appear shortly. Tapping the tassels at the top of each plant when they are fully developed will help pollination. Each plant will produce just 1 or 2 cobs so if they had begun to form and are no longer there then the birds may have eaten them! They are a major problem with sweetcorn. If this is the case next year try protecting the crop once is begins to develop. Sweetcorn plants should be sown in rectangular blocks which will ensure that the wind pollinates the female flowers effectively. Assuming your neighbour sowed the seed during May/June the cobs should be ready to harvest mid to late August.

• Island Bed - Question:I will shortly be transforming an island bed that I have got in my garden. I have decided on the colour scheme red and pink. This may seem like an unusual combination, but I will give it a go. I would like advice on some evergreen shrubs that have pink or red flowers on them. ...

I will shortly be transforming an island bed that I have got in my garden. I have decided on the colour scheme red and pink. This may seem like an unusual combination, but I will give it a go. I would like advice on some evergreen shrubs that have pink or red flowers on them. I do not want them to grow too tall or spread too much either. I thought possibly the red hydrangea (lady in red), your thoughts on this please. Other plants that I intend for this bed are geraniums, azaleas, cyclaems, fuschias, sedum, pieris (Kerrie, the new one with the dark red leaves), potentilla, weiglea (the one with the dark leaves and bright red flowers), carnations and Bishop of Llandaff in summer. I also intend planting some red and pink tulips for the spring, both tall and dwarf.

Answer:

I have done some research and have come up with the following suggestions. You don't say what soil type you have so I have included some acid loving ones. Most Hydrangea are deciduous but if this is OK then Preziosa has masses of mophead flowers start out pinkish in June, maturing to red with a crescendo of burgundy by the end of the year. It produces these colours best in acidic soil. Although deciduous it will only reach 1.5m. Bergina Abendglut (Elephants Ears). Vivid pink spikes in spring with dark green leaves tinged with red. Cistus (Rock Rose) provides great ground cover and comes in lots of shades of pink. It loves the sun. There are some pink Daphne which are highly scented and not too big. Day lilies always give a good show. If you want structure then the New Zealand Flax (Phormium Rainbow Queen) has red stripes on the leaves. Skimmia japonica Rubella (male) has the red dark red flower buds which last through autumn and winter. For acid soils: There are some lovely red Camellias but the pinks are nice too and there are some nice compact Azaleas, Mothers Day is a particularly nice red.

• Sweetcorn - Question:I feel a bit of an idiot e-mailing you for Sweetcorn trauma, but my next door neighbour is growing the stuff and very beautifully may I add. The problem we have got is we cannot find the Cobs! We know there is a really silly answer to this problem and would appreciate all the help ...