成人快手

Q 鈥� In 2013 I moved house, mid-summer, and took about ten roses with me.听 The colours were a beautiful peach colour and upon replanting they turned red!听 Will they stay this way?

Christine 鈥� You might just have the rootstock and you鈥檝e lost the stock on the top.听 I think that by moving them and pruning them you鈥檝e actually just got the rootstock

Matthew 鈥� If they鈥檙e coming from the rootstock then they will stay that way 鈥� they won鈥檛 revert to peach.

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Q 鈥� For two years we鈥檝e had no success growing carrots, salads, and nasturtiums on our allotment.听 They seem to grow rapidly but then just die.听 Any suggestions? They are in a raised plastic bath, in there with commercial compost.

Christine 鈥� If you are just using the bath鈥檚 plughole for drainage I suspect they鈥檝e got soggy bottoms!

Matthew 鈥� It would be an idea to put a layer of grit or shingle at the bottom of the tub to aid drainage.听

Eric 鈥� You could try growing blueberry bushes in it

Matthew 鈥� Rhubarb or runner beans would also do well

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Q 鈥� Which shrubs would you recommend for a newly dug border? It is approx. 18 inches (45cm) wide and 10ft (3m) long.听 It faces west and has a 5ft (1.5m) fence at the back.听 Previously, there has been a mock orange, lilac, and camellia for 35 years which are in the process of being removed.

Pippa 鈥� If it鈥檚 free-draining I鈥檇 go for trained wall shrubs.听 Something Cytisus batanderii (Pineapple Broom) could do well.听 Has a pineapple aroma and is gorgeous.

Christine 鈥� Viburnum opulus 鈥�Compactum鈥� 鈥� it鈥檚 a small shrub that will only get up to about 4ft (1.2m) high and spread to around 5ft (1.5m).听

Matthew 鈥� I agree with the wall-trained shrub idea too.听 One of my favourites is Itea ilicifolia.听 It looks like it鈥檚 cascading down the wall; very graceful.

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Q 鈥� I鈥檓 about to move into a house with a tiny garden but a big (20ft/6m) sandstone wall that faces south west.听 Do you think I could grow apricots?

Christine 鈥� Yes! You need to take out a decent hole, fork it over, and then leave it for two weeks to make sure it doesn鈥檛 fill up with water 鈥� because you need to ensure good drainage.听 Then make sure you鈥檝e got a good covering of soil 鈥� about 18inches (45cm) 鈥� and compost.听 New varieties like Tomcot will do very well there.

Pippa 鈥� I鈥檝e had Flavourcot and it鈥檚 delicious and fruits quite young too

Matthew 鈥� If it鈥檚 20ft (6m) high I鈥檇 get a fig in there and maybe a kiwi too.听 You鈥檒l get so much radiated heat from that 鈥� try and see what you can get away with!

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Q 鈥� How do I improve the condition of our lawns where turf has been laid onto rotavated ground which has not been smoothed and rollered?听 It鈥檚 a new house on previous farmland 鈥� weed and feed only provides patchy results.

Matthew 鈥� Have you tried digging at all?听 You might have builders鈥� rubble under there.听 The turf that鈥檚 in contact with rubble will get less nutrition and will drain differently to the rest.听 The only way to tackle it is to dig it up, remove a layer of 200-300ml, and then put lots of fresh soil back on top.

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Q 鈥� Liverpool soil is very sandy 鈥� what do you think about the 鈥榥o dig鈥� method of gardening?

Christine 鈥� the most difficult thing is getting enough organic matter down.听 You really need a good 3inch (8-10cm) layer and that can be very expensive.听

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Q 鈥� In an area 6m x 2m (20ft x 6.5ft), heavily populated by bluebells, am I trying to achieve the impossible by encouraging other plants to grow?听 English bluebells that are about 18inches (45cm) deep.听 A pine tree shelters the plot.

Pippa 鈥� I doubt it鈥檚 the bluebells 鈥� more likely the pine鈥檚 roots and dropped needles that are hindering other plants.

Matthew 鈥� I agree.听 The pine will also be drying the soil out a lot.听

Eric 鈥� I鈥檇 suggest White Foxglove

Matthew 鈥� That鈥檇 be fine because they鈥檙e shade tolerant and will withstand dry soils.听 But I would improve the soil and the watering.

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Q 鈥� I have a medium-sized front garden 鈥� about 30ft (9m) x 40ft (12m) 鈥� and I would love to plant a beautiful Ghost Silver Birch.听 Would I need to worry about the height of it?

Matthew 鈥� Best not to pollard them because you immediately spoil the form of them.听 I wouldn鈥檛 worry about birches because they have open canopies and small leaves so you don鈥檛 get too much shade from them, even at full height.听 Go for a multi-stem 鈥� Jacquemontii is the most common but you could try Betula nigra, or albosinensis fascination, but I wouldn鈥檛 worry about pollarding them.