Correspondence Edition

Q – Clearing away a thick layer of leaves I noticed Snowdrops and Narcissi poking through. What should I do?

Christine – Remove all the leaves to avoid mould

Bob – Biggest danger is snow because people will stand on them! They’ll be fine in the cold without cover

Q – I grow annuals from seed – Calendula, Dahlia, Cosmia, Sweet peas, Asters – and I’d like to plant some to flower for my daughter’s wedding in June. Suggestions please.

Bob – Grow stuff in pots but definitely have a back up plan just in case!

Christine – Planting now you’re up against it time wise. Apart from bulbs like Gladioli and the early-flowering summer bulbs you’re going to struggle.

Pippa – Go for it

Q – Can you tell me how to reduce my clump of 15 Musa basjoo (Banana) trees down to about five?

Bob – Leave the oldest one and some of the buds and then thin the ones in between

Q – I want to make my own growing medium with a mixture of two-year-old leaf mould and well-rotted stable manure. Would 50/50 be ok?

Bob – You need something with more body like grass turfs to add to the mixture too

Q – Is it safe to compost Foxgloves?

Bob – They are incredibly poisonous but anything that’s gone through the compost should be fine. They won’t be that nutritious – try Comfrey and the Alkanet family for more potassium and minerals

Q – Why do the panel put so much emphasis on privacy in gardens?

Christine – It’s nice to have a balance

Bob – Good hedges make good neighbours!

Q – The large Viburnums have succumbed to Viburnum Beetle – what should I do?

Pippa – You can do some hand picking and collecting. You can spray the grubs with insecticide. I would hang bird feeders nearby to bring in birds like Blue Tits to naturally control the beetles

Bob – You can cut Viburnums back very hard. Burn that. Then monitor the new growth carefully

Q – I have plants in the joints of my garden wall – Linaria, Campanula, Yellow Fumitory – and I’d like to encourage more. What can you recommend?

Christina - Erinus alpinus. Welsh Poppy (Mecanopsis cambrica).

Q – I’ve inherited a huge Aspidstra – it’s over 100 years old and 4ft (1.3m) in diameter! It’s too big for my cottage and needs a new home. Where could I put it?

Christine – Old people’s homes, community gardens, school foyers are all good shouts. You could split and divide this plant, keep one, pass the other bits onto other family members