麻豆社

A. You could try topiary. It鈥檚 worth feeding the hedge after cutting it back hard.

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Q. After I got an allotment I turned my four raised beds in the garden into beds for cut flowers. One is full of glorious Daffodils but of course is 'empty' much of the year. I recently planted chamomile in the bed in the hope that it will stay green all year and that the daffodils will grow up through it. Will this work? Have the panel any other suggestions?

A. Yes, Chamomile is a good idea. Try the 鈥楾reneague鈥� variety that provides good flowerless ground cover. If you want to plant Chamomile on the cheap, then you could rip open an unused Chamomile tea bag and plant the contents!
You could also plant Zinneas that have short roots and will flower when the Daffodils are over.听
You can also grow Daffodils through dwarf varieties of Lavender, like 鈥楬idcote鈥�.听 Plant other summer bulbs like Lilies or Galtonia (Summer Hyacinths).

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Q. Do the panel have any suggestions for a brand new garden? We were hoping to grow some ornamental trees or bushes that don鈥檛 need too much maintenance. We have a north-facing garden with reasonable drainage and sandy soil.

A. Start with a plan. Watch the garden for a year to see what happens. Plant dwarf fruit trees, which can be dug up and moved with you if you move house. A greenhouse that can be moved would also be a great idea. Get an accurate survey and then sketch out what you want on tracing paper and lay out all the pots in the garden before planting them. You can also download computer aided design packages from the Internet. Train fruit against some of the walls and fences. Grow some veg.

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Q. While enjoying a warm and sunny Christmas in New Zealand, I became enamoured of the beautiful P艒hutukawa, Metrosideros excelsa, and its lovely red blooms in summer. What advice can the panel suggest in terms of location, planting time, shrub size, soil preparation, and care? I鈥檓 gardening on a relatively heavy clay soil on the eastern side of a hill in the north of Herefordshire.

A. Grow it in a conservatory or against as south-facing wall where it is more protected from the elements. Put it in well-drained soil and wrap it in horticultural fleece in the winter months.

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Q. My girlfriend is running a competition with her family in that they all have young pineapple plants and they're seeing who can grow the best and biggest fruit. The plants have all rooted, but we are in Durham and she need as much of an advantage as possible to make up for the Northern weather!
A. Don鈥檛 let them get cold and damp, start folio feeding in the spring (with mist) and make sure they get as much light and warmth as possible at the beginning of the season but a little shade in the peak of the summer. If you pot them up in a bigger container each year with nice well-drained compost you鈥檒l get a big plant with big Pineapples. Remove the side shoots and pot those up separately. Water them with soot water.

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Q. Like most gardens, we have moss growing in our lawn, particularly in the shady and damper areas. We now have moss growing in some flowerbeds. What can I do to kill the moss but not damage the plants? The soil is heavy and the area does not get the sun until late in the day and all plants thrive there (as well as the moss which I wish would thrive less enthusiastically).

A. Try and physically remove as much as possible and try to regularly break up the soil surface to improve air circulation. Mosses like acidic soils, so spread lime on the lawn and over sow with grass seed. Choose varieties like 鈥楾imothy鈥� that will be able to compete with the moss. Feed the grass with blood, fish and bone meal. In the borders, put newspaper over the moss and cover with mulch and the other plants will grow over it.
Alternatively, embrace the moss and make a moss lawn. Plant through with hardy Orchids and Dicksonia and it could look amazing!

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Q. I have a metal arch that is quite sturdy, with a top-heavy Akebia quinata on one side. All its lower shoots were eaten when the deer got in a couple of years ago and the growth is now all above my head.听 The Campsis radicans the other side will probably be high enough to catch the wind this year. Before the leaves fell last year, the wind caught the top growth in a storm and the arch is now leaning at 20-30 degrees, though the Akebia roots are preventing it from falling.听 What should I do to get it upright again, and when? The Akebia stems are firmly twisted around the metal of the arch.听 Will it grow again if I cut it hard back? I know it鈥檚 not an ideal position as it's fairly exposed and quite windy. It's southwest facing, and we're 100m above sea level with a clay soil.

A. Start by trying to get the arch in the upright position as soon as possible and then firm up the ground and provide some support for the arch. Drive some packing down the legs of the arch to get it into place. You can chop Akebia back hard after flowering.

Q. We moved a few weeks ago and I've found a rhododendron in a pot in the garden with one foot in the grave, it's mostly crispy brown but there are some green leaves here and there. I believe it's been unattended for nearly 12 months so the reason for its sorry state is probably lack of water.听 How can I give it the kiss of life and bring it back to its former glory?

A. Keep it well watered now and as we get into spring, give it a nitrogen feed and cut it hard back. If you have an acid soil put it into the ground and let it get going and then cut it back hard. Make sure it doesn鈥檛 have vine weevils.听

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Q. My friend has a penchant for giving me unusual Christmas presents and this year I received an upside down plant pot for Christmas. I have never heard of these before, so I've sent in diagrams for the team to look at. Can you suggest a quirky plant that would enjoy growing upside down please?

A. A trailing plant would work well. Try Ivy or Tomatoes.听 Or go for architectural plants like Nepenthes or Platycerium. You could try growing cucumbers in a larger pot.