You will be pleased to know that there is a product called Growing Success Ivy Killer that will be just what you are looking for.

It is available at most gardening outlets and comes in a ready to use spray or in a paint on form.

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I think that your leylandii hedge could be going brown due to attacks from conifer aphids, particularly if the browning became more apparent later in the summer.

The browned foliage will never go green again so growing a plant over it will do no further harm.

Perhaps an evergreen plant like one of the Euonymus family would do a better cover-up job all the year round.

If the browning is mostly lower down try Euonymus emerald on gold but if it goes well up the trees try Euonymus fortunei.

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What I would do is concentrate on making an area with a tropical feel that would remind you of Bali and the jungle environment without using plants which need tropical temperatures all the year round.

Lots of nurseries are now selling palms that would be suitable like Chamaerops humilis, (European fan palm) Trachycarpus fortunei (windmill palm and the slightly less hardy date palm).

Then there are other exotic looking plants like Cordyline australis, Brugmansia, and tree ferns like Dicksonia antartica all of which should do OK for you without too much extra protection in winter.

Another exotic looking but hardy evergreen shrub is Leucothoe fontansiana rainbow with multi coloured foliage and it is evergreen too.

Then there are herbaceous plants like brightly foliaged cannas and the jungle looking outdoor Tradescantias. The last two die down in autumn but will sprout up again in spring.

Have a look at the catalogue of an exotic plant specialist like Mulu Nurseries. Tel 01386 833171 or visit the website: www.mulu.co.uk

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Liverworts are hard to get rid of but I find that a couple of the best things to try are Armillatox, used at the rate prescribed for killing moss on lawns and Bio Ready To Use Mosskiller which comes in a red trigger spray container.

This Bio R.T.U. Mosskiller contains a chemical called dichlorpen which should kill liverworts decently.

Ater killing them airate the lawn in an attempt to prevent its return. Patching with grass seed will also be a good idea.

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How can I keep badgers out of the garden? They do so much damage, digging holes in the lawn and spoiling flower beds. At the start of the year they took a liking to the tulip bulbs and ate every one.

Linda - Stroud

Badgers are one of the most difficult creatures to keep out of the garden, they will even knock their way through new panel fences if the mood takes them. Two of the best deterrents are Renardine, obtainable from garden outlets and male urine available from men.

In either case just deposit some around where the badgers enter the garden or around the area that you wish to protect. Otherwise electric fencing is the only other way to deter them.

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I've just been given a potted Gerbera as a gift and am trying to find out the best way to care for it. I've found bits on watering, but not on re-potting, cutting the flowers etc - can you help?

Pat - London

Gerberas are not the easiest of houseplants to look after well and generally they fit into the same category as pot chrysanthemums i.e. they are like a living bunch of cut flowers.

Here are some hints:
Temp 50-70F
Light Brightly lit spot with some sun.
Water Keep compost moist at all times when in flower but you can keep them a little drier during the Winter.
Humidity Place the pot on a saucer of moist gravel in order to provide humidity.

But as I have already written above they are hard to keep from year to year.

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My father has a neglected Eleagnus pungens which is now at least 10 ft tall and nearly as wide with loads of green in it. If I "coppice" will it sprout again and if so what length of stump should I leave?

Pat - Nottingham