Question For the past couple of year my Rhododendron plant has been happily growing in a large tub. This year, however, after it had flowered, it started to lose its leaves. I thought that I would put a small lily in its tub to brighten it up a bit but I am worried now as [...]

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Question Can you supply me with a list of plants mainly trees and shrubs that are resistant to honey fungus? Answer Honey Fungus: There is now almost a standard list of shrubs which appear to be more resistant to the parasite, here is a selection: Acer negundo (Not other Acer species) Ailanthus altissima Bamboo Box [...]

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Question How can I control vine weevils in my pot plants? Answer Vine weevils in pots: There are several ways of controlling them. Tip the plant out of the pot and search for any grubs. These are about 10mm long with a plump creamy/white body and brown head. These need to be removed and destroyed. [...]

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Question Please could you tell me how digitalis has been hybridised and improved over the years? Answer Digitalis or common foxglove: The original species D. purpurea (purple) has been around for a long time in fact there are references to it back in the 13th century. Although it is a British native plant, it also [...]

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Question I live in Northern France. I have a number of geraniums against the walls of our house planted in holes in the paved surround. Is it worth trying to keep them over winter and, if so, how do I protect them against the frost that invariably finishes them off? Am I too late to [...]

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Question I have had an indoor cyclamen for some years; I give it a rest in summer, bring it in & repot in autumn and it flowers well. The trouble is, the crown has become huge – about 4″ across and woody looking. I always leave it on top of the soil so that it [...]

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Question My deciduous magnolia, which is around 10 feet high and trained against a wall, has displayed brown margins around most of its leaves. There are a few holes in the leaves, but not many. No pruning has taken place and it flowered well earlier in the year. Any ideas?. Answer Deciduous Magnolias: I would [...]

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When moving Hydrangeas to a pot they are many things you need to consider. Hare at GardenAdvice here are a few tips we recommend for persons attempting to move their Hydrangeas. Firstly, because you are restricting the plant to a pot, one should use a fairly rich free-draining compost, something like JI No.2 with the [...]

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After the seed has germinated and your grass has grown to 5 cm long, the first thing one should do is to first, walk over the new lawn area and stone pick any large stones over 25mm that have been washed to the surface. Secondly, choose a dry day and roll the new lawn with [...]

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Question What can I use for the control of pear tree midge? I have tried cultivation below the tree and covering the ground with carpet, but this does not seem to work. Answer Pear tree Midge can be controlled by tar washing the tree in December with murphy tar wash available from most garden centres. [...]

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Question When is the best time to prune a very big Californian Lilac? . Answer With regard to your question on your Californian Lilac, they need to be pruned quite hard every 4 to 5 years to keep them under control, and to keep them flowering at their best. Unfortunately most people do not do [...]

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Question Please could you suggest some plants for a window box in shade? Answer At this time of year (autumn) planting bulbs, such as dwarf tulips, is a good way to ensure colour in the spring in a shady window box. Other plants worth considering are: hebe pagei, cistus silver pink, and the heuchera Tom [...]

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Question I would like to know if it is possible to grow a red berried Pyracantha from seed. Answer It should be possible by collecting seeds from a plant in the autumn. Once collected, you will need to remove the outer coat of the seed, the red fleshy part, and then place the seed in [...]

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