The house next door to mine is a long term empty property. In its garden it is riddled with 2 weeds one is mare's tail and the other I don't know the name of but it is like a route that travels under the surface and every now and then it shoots up just 2 or 3 blades of grass type things. My problems I cannot do anything to stop these 2 weeds coming through into my garden. Next to that garden I have a small patch of tended garden which is turned over and is ready for planting up. But because of the weeds next door there is nothing I can do about it can you help. I have had an idea which I would like to run past you, from what I can see both weeds seem to be just under the surface and I wandered if I dug down a spade deep all along the edge of my side along the perimeter, so as too cut off the roots and then somehow put in a barrier would the mayors tail and other dig its way under the barrier and if not I then can to somehow kill off the rots on my side before planting. I have tried weed killing but to no avail and it gets worse yearly. Please can you help?

Answer:

I'm sorry to hear about your weed problem. I think your suggestion is an excellent idea. Once the barrier is in place it is extremely unlikely that the weeds' roots will go down far enough to make their way over to your side of the garden. Once you have cut the roots and put the barrier in place I would double check all stray roots are removed from the area, wait a few weeks to see if any new weeds appear. If so then treat the area with a good weedkiller such as Roundup and that should be that.

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I bought two nice shrubs today but the information on the labels is very patchy one is called thuja occidentalis golden trumpet the other a coprosma porto red any advice on planting aftercare such has watering would be welcomed

Answer:

Thuja occidentalis' common name is White Cedar. It is quite easy to look after and likes full sun. It is hardy and likes most soil types. If you want to take cuttings the best time is July to August. Its maximum height is 120cm and spread is 90cm. It does not require pruning. I couldn't find much information about Coprosma porto red but what I did find out was that it should be grown in well drained soil in sun but protected from cold wind.

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I have a big problem with cats digging up my new plants and using my beds as a loo. I was told to use moth balls. Is this safe for my plants and soil to use this?

Answer:

It is very difficult to keep cats out of our gardens but moth balls are supposed to work and they are safe for your plants and soil. Here are some other ideas: ? Spray the plants with a solution of a little cayenne and water. It's nontoxic to the animals, doesn't hurt the plants, and the cats hate the smell. ? This is cat repellent recipe which is also supposed to work. 2 parts cayenne pepper, 3 parts dry mustard, 5 parts flour. Mix it together and sprinkle wherever you wish to repel cats. It must be reapplied periodically and after a rain. ? Try placing some lemon peel or any other citrus peel on the soil as they do not like citrus smell. ? Try placing pine cones on the soil which get in the way of the cats digging but look good.

• Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ - Question:Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ A friend bought this for me a few years ago, I have repotted it once and keep it indoors as a previous Daphne (same species) died outdoors planted near the front door (perhaps frost?) This one now seems lack lustre and has not flowered ever in five years. I know I must ...
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• Lavender dentata - Question:In February I bought a lavender dentata tree which claimed on the label to be hardy to the UK I found out some time later it was not and bought the tree in and planted it in a pot I have put it out during the day has the weather has warmed up but on ...

I have a conifer hedge growing at one edge of my property in a very narrow (12-18") raised bed. I want to grow some trailing plants (probably have to be in pots) to trail down the sides. Not a lot of sun, maybe 2 hours a day, and therefore quite a bit of shade. Thought about geraniums but advice gratefully accepted.

Answer:

I am not quite sure from your note whether you want to plant perennials or annuals so I'll cover both. The perennial Geranium (Crane's Bill) does not mind shade and will spread down the sides of pots in time, there are lots of different colours available too. The annual "Geranium" Pelargonium doesn't like heavy shade so I don't think it will be suitable. Some annuals which don't mind shade are below, they will all give you good colour, but not all will trail down the sides of pots: ? Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana) ? Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) - trailing ? Flowering tobacco(Nicotiana) ? Pansy (Viola) ? Lobelia (Lobelia) - trailing varieties available ? Bachelor button (Centaurea) ? Pinks (Dianthus) ? Bells of Ireland (Moluccella) ? Forget-me-not (Myosotis) ? Baby blue eyes (Nemophila) ? Perilla (Perilla) ? Fuschia (Fuschia) - trailing varieties available ? Elephant ear (Colocasia). A couple of perennials which may be suitable are: ? Bugle (Ajuga reptans) - will trail once large enough ? Lungwort (Pulmonaria) - will trail once large enough. The thing to bear in mind is that the hedge will be taking a lot of moisture and goodness out of the soil in the bed so you will have to add plenty of new compost, keep it well watered and feed regularly throughout the season. I think you will also have to accept that with only two hours sun a day the flowering display will never be as good as it could be in a sunnier area. I hope this helps and I'd be interested in whether you manage to get a good display this year.

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I have a great number of Snowdrops and daffodils growing in my Orchard, when I can I safely mow over them.

Answer:

You need to wait until the foliage of your bulbs dies back. It doesn't have to be totally dead but you have to leave it at least six weeks after flowering. Remove the dead flowers as soon as possible to stop it making seed. It will then use the goodness in the leaves to store everything it needs for next year's flowers.

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I have a really soggy almost marsh like back garden please can you advise what type of sand we could lay to dry up the garden? Also should we lay this on top of the soggy lawn or try to pick the lawn up and put the sand under it?

Answer:

It sounds to me that your garden is badly drained. This could be because you have very heavy soil or that you have a pan, a level of soil which is extremely compacted or is rock or stone. If your garden is at the base of a hill you may be getting water flowing down the hill into your garden. Either way laying sand will not help. First of all you need to know if you have a pan. Dig down as far as you can to see if you reach a very hard layer of soil or rock. If you hit rock there is nothing you can do about it. If it is just a thick layer of heavy soil you will have to lift the lawn and dig down past the pan to break it up. Add a good amount of well rotted manure when you replace the soil, firm down and relay the lawn. If you can rule out a pan then have a look at the soil. Take a handful and squeeze it into a ball, if it sticks together and looks shiny like clay, then you have a heavy clay soil. You will need to dig over the whole garden and add some well rotted manure and some extra drainage in the form of gravel. All this digging is very hard work so if you are not able to deal with it you may have to just live with it. Your lawn will survive even if it is soggy but you may want to plant bog plants which will thrive in the conditions you have. I've found a website which will give you some suggestions. http://www.wetland-plants.co.uk/acatalog/Moisture_loving_Bog_plants.html

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• Privet Hedge - Question:Please can you advise what I can grow beneath a privet hedge? The hedge is between me and my neighbour’s garden and has been planted for a good 30 years now. I would like some colour against this side of the garden.Answer:It is very difficult to grow anything beneath hedges as the hedge tends to ...
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• Prunus Comet - Question:I bought a nice flowering shrub today called a Prunus comet but the details of how and where to plant it are sketchy on the label any tips or information on this plant would be welcome i.e. feeding /watering pruning times etc thank you for your timeAnswer:I believe this is a new variety of flowering ...

I have just bought some summer bulbs & am on hols for 10 days before I can plant them. What is the best way & place to store them? They are gladiolus, lilies & irises.

Answer:

If they are in plastic bags then take them out and either place in paper bags or bury them in dry sand. Store them in a cool, shady, dry place such as a cool shed or garage. They should be fine for 10 days. If they have started sprouting when you return don't worry they will still be OK.

• Prunus Comet - Question:I bought a nice flowering shrub today called a Prunus comet but the details of how and where to plant it are sketchy on the label any tips or information on this plant would be welcome i.e. feeding /watering pruning times etc thank you for your timeAnswer:I believe this is a new variety of flowering ...
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• Wet Garden - Question:I have a really soggy almost marsh like back garden please can you advise what type of sand we could lay to dry up the garden? Also should we lay this on top of the soggy lawn or try to pick the lawn up and put the sand under it?Answer:It sounds to me that your ...
• Privet Hedge - Question:Please can you advise what I can grow beneath a privet hedge? The hedge is between me and my neighbour’s garden and has been planted for a good 30 years now. I would like some colour against this side of the garden.Answer:It is very difficult to grow anything beneath hedges as the hedge tends to ...

I recently bought a Salix flamingo the instructions say to prune it several times in the summer starting March or April seems strange for a new tree basically how often should I prune it any tips etc welcomed

Answer:

If you want a consistent supply of vibrant coloured leaves you will need to cut back the shoots of your Salix each year in the spring. You can allow your Salix to grow into a large tree but the variegated vibrant leaves are only produced on the young shoots. You will need to ensure your tree is well watered and general mulch with well rotted farm manure in the early spring will help to retain the moisture in the soil and also realise nutrients to your tree.

• Photinia fraseri camilvy - Question:hi again just wanted a bit of information regards to a new shrub I bought the plant labels is not very helpful the name of the plant is a Photinia fraseri camilvy what type of conditions does this shrub like sun/shade should it be watered and fed regularly what type of plant food should I ...
• Prunus Comet - Question:I bought a nice flowering shrub today called a Prunus comet but the details of how and where to plant it are sketchy on the label any tips or information on this plant would be welcome i.e. feeding /watering pruning times etc thank you for your timeAnswer:I believe this is a new variety of flowering ...
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• Small Garden Tree - Question:I have a very small garden 29ft wide by 37ft long I am looking for a small tree that will grow no taller than 8-10ft cant have to wide a spread either can be flowering or have foliage that changes colour with the seasonsAnswer:If you definitely want a tree I would plump for an Acer. ...
• Privet Hedge - Question:Please can you advise what I can grow beneath a privet hedge? The hedge is between me and my neighbour’s garden and has been planted for a good 30 years now. I would like some colour against this side of the garden.Answer:It is very difficult to grow anything beneath hedges as the hedge tends to ...

Please can you advise what I can grow beneath a privet hedge? The hedge is between me and my neighbour's garden and has been planted for a good 30 years now. I would like some colour against this side of the garden.

Answer:

It is very difficult to grow anything beneath hedges as the hedge tends to take all the water and nutrients for itself leaving nothing left for the more delicate plants beneath. The area beneath the hedge is also very shaded. The only way I could see it working is to expand the width of the border containing the hedge. Lift the lawn and dig down at least 5-6ins, turning over the soil and adding well rotted manure. Make sure you don't damage the roots of the privet whilst doing this. The border should then be ready to grow anything you fancy but I'd keep to plants which prefer dry, shady conditions.

• Wet Garden - Question:I have a really soggy almost marsh like back garden please can you advise what type of sand we could lay to dry up the garden? Also should we lay this on top of the soggy lawn or try to pick the lawn up and put the sand under it?Answer:It sounds to me that your ...
• Vegetables in Containers - Question:I am thinking of planting some Veg’s this year out on my deck. You see I live in a condo and had an idea to use giant planter pots and try to see what I can grow. I have no idea what type of earth to put into the pots or what to plant so ...
• Prunus Comet - Question:I bought a nice flowering shrub today called a Prunus comet but the details of how and where to plant it are sketchy on the label any tips or information on this plant would be welcome i.e. feeding /watering pruning times etc thank you for your timeAnswer:I believe this is a new variety of flowering ...
• Conifer Hedge - Question:I have a conifer hedge growing at one edge of my property in a very narrow (12-18″) raised bed. I want to grow some trailing plants (probably have to be in pots) to trail down the sides. Not a lot of sun, maybe 2 hours a day, and therefore quite a bit of shade. Thought ...
• Photinia fraseri camilvy - Question:hi again just wanted a bit of information regards to a new shrub I bought the plant labels is not very helpful the name of the plant is a Photinia fraseri camilvy what type of conditions does this shrub like sun/shade should it be watered and fed regularly what type of plant food should I ...

I am thinking of planting some Veg's this year out on my deck. You see I live in a condo and had an idea to use giant planter pots and try to see what I can grow. I have no idea what type of earth to put into the pots or what to plant so that I may actually be able to grow something. If you have any ideas (especially as to what type of earth to use in the planters) or know where I can find some answers I would sure appreciate any help.

Answer:

You can grow most vegetables in containers but you are best sticking to smaller types. A good selection would be: ? Carrots ? Onions ? Garlic ? Lettuce ? Spring onions ? Herbs ? Radish ? Tomatoes (try growing them in a hanging basket). You could also put an obelisk over a container and grow some beans or peas or try growing potatoes in a used compost bag. Fill the bag with about 10ins of compost, place two to three seed potatoes on top and cover. Put some holes in the base of the bag for drainage. As the leaves begin to show keep covering them up. During late summer or autumn just dig your hands into the bag to pull out as many potatoes as you need for each meal. You can use anything as a container; just make sure you put holes in the base for drainage. You are also best adding crocks in the bottom so that roots aren't left sitting in water. As for compost; you can use an all purpose potting compost but add some well rotted manure at planting time and continue to feed every couple of weeks throughout the growing season. It is most important that you don't allow the containers to dry out so you may want to consider installing a micro irrigation system. One point of note; if you are not in the ground floor, you will need to check that your balcony will take the extra weight of the containers.

• Getting rid of Weeds - Question: The house next door to mine is a long term empty property. In its garden it is riddled with 2 weeds one is mare’s tail and the other I don’t know the name of but it is like a route that travels under the surface and every now and then it shoots up just 2 ...
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• Wet Garden - Question:I have a really soggy almost marsh like back garden please can you advise what type of sand we could lay to dry up the garden? Also should we lay this on top of the soggy lawn or try to pick the lawn up and put the sand under it?Answer:It sounds to me that your ...
• Conifer Hedge - Question:I have a conifer hedge growing at one edge of my property in a very narrow (12-18″) raised bed. I want to grow some trailing plants (probably have to be in pots) to trail down the sides. Not a lot of sun, maybe 2 hours a day, and therefore quite a bit of shade. Thought ...