Your gardening problems solved

Answers to popular questions on pests, plants and pruning. By gardening editor Pattie Barron

From pruning tips to a mini patio revamp, shade-loving plants to a low-cost cat deterrent, Pattie Barron has the expertise to help – and inspire.

 

A meadow in the city

What's the best way to grow a patch of wildflowers in my town garden? I'm happy to sacrifice some of the lawn if I need to.

Most people's attempts to create a wildflower meadow end in failure simply because the fertility level in the soil is too high, so the flowering species that thrive on low-nutrient ground are soon swamped by more invasive grass and weeds. The way round this is to remove the topsoil so you're left with the lower-fertility subsoil. You can then sow a blend of low-vigour grass and mixed wildflower seed direct into the prepared soil - spring or autumn are the best times to do it. Once the wildflowers are established, mow them down every autumn and rake off the mowings so the nitrogen from the grass doesn't leech into the soil.

 

Cat deterrent

How can I stop next-door's cats from making a mess in my vegetable bed? Lots of my seedlings seem to have disappeared because of them.

You need to protect vulnerable young plants with a physical barrier. I've tried citronella-impregnated sticks pushed into the ground and cat-repellent powder that has to be reapplied after rain, but nothing has been as effective as a metal mesh tunnel. Here's what to do: first, buy some inexpensive sheets of wire mesh, then curve each one gently, pushing the sides into the soil so the low tunnel covers one or two rows of seedlings. When the plants grow and fill out later on, you can remove the barriers because cats only favour bare soil - another good reason for having well-filled garden beds and borders!

 

Summer flowers for a shady spot

Are any summer-flowering bulbs I could include - preferably something with real impact?

Why not try the beautiful turk's-cap lily, Lilium martagon, which thrives in the dappled shade of shrubs and trees? It flowers in early summer, and each stem, which can reach as high as 6ft, produces masses of scented, nodding blooms with swept-back petals in a dusky pink - often with deeper spots. Eventually the plants will form a substantial clump. There's also a white version, Lilium martagon var. Album, which is useful for providing an impact in gloomy corners. You need to plant the bulbs in the autumn, in well-drained soil.

 

Clever disguise for a blank wall

I'd like to plant a climber to cover the red-brick wall of our house, which looks rather bleak. It's in shade for part of the day. What can you suggest? There's a flowerbed at the base, so the climber can be planted directly into the soil.

The best plant for the site and situation you have would be Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris, the climbing hydrangea. It takes a while to get going, but the eventual flowers make the wait worthwhile. Lacecap hydrangea blooms almost cover the stems, creating what looks like a sea of white lace. Keep the soil well watered and don't worry about a climbing frame: this low-maintenance beauty clings on all by itself.

Allaboutyou adds: How to plant a climber

 

An infestation of weeds

Help! My garden has become overrun with bindweed. What should I do?

Bindweed is hard to eradicate completely, because if you leave behind even the smallest root in the soil it will multiply. To stay on top of it, look out for the new growth each spring and dig it up as it appears. You could spray a broad area with a herbicide containing glyphosate, which should kill the bindweed - you may need two sessions - but bear in mind it will kill any other plant it comes into contact with, too. The gardener's trick is to push a length of bindweed into a plastic bag and spray pesticide into it, or push a cane into the ground and twirl a length around that, then paint on the glyphosate. That way, other plants are protected and, as the glyphosate is systemic, it will kill the whole bindweed plant, including the root.

 

Small but beautiful

We want to plant a tree beyond our kitchen window that will give us something different to look at every season - but nothing too big as the garden is tiny. What do you suggest?

There are two outstanding small trees that will mark the seasons for you with flowers, berries and lively foliage. Look for Sorbus vilmorinii, which has creamy blossom in early summer, followed by clusters of crimson berries that fade to creamy pink, then white. The leaves are attractively fern-like and take on rich tints in autumn. Another is Amelanchier lamarckii, which has a profusion of snowy-white blossom in spring, berries in early summer that birds love, then great autumn colour.

Allaboutyou adds: How to plant a tree

 

Old soil or new soil?

Can I grow my summer container bedding in the same compost I used last year? It looks quite fresh, and it seems such a waste to throw it away.

I agree, but old compost won't give your plants a great start. The compost may have become infected with pathogens (agents that cause disease) from the previous occupants and, if you watered last sum­mer's plants with tap water, the soil could now contain an accu­mulation of undesirable mineral salts. The com­post also won't have any nutrients left to feed the new plants. Better to consign the soil to the compost bin.

 

Anti slug tactics

During the past two wet summers, slugs feasted on my flower borders. Pellets never seem to work particularly well and I'm worried they might harm my pets. Any recommendations?

There's a new pellet from Growing Success called Advanced Slug Killer, which is cer­tified for organic use. I've found it to be effective, and it won't harm pets or wild­life. Some people swear by copper tape, which you stick around the edges of pots or around raised beds - the copper is said to give slugs a mild electric shock. A mulch of grit or coffee grounds around vulnerable plants provides a bar­rier that slugs are reluctant to slide over. I've also found that going around the garden on a damp summer's evening armed with spaghetti tongs and a bucket will yield a large slug harvest!

 

Awkward front garden

At the front of our house is a sloping bank that runs along its length. We've covered it with bark mulch and a few shrubs, but the bark tends to slip down the bank and the shrubs look spindly. What can we plant that will cover the slope with greenery?

Groundcover plants that suppress weeds and help anchor the soil are the way for­ward. My first choice would be periwinkle, either Vinca minor or major varieties. The trailing stems of glossy green foliage pro­duce masses of pretty blue or white flowers in spring. You could plant varieties of ivy as an alternative. Both these evergreens cover the ground fast once they take off. Bear in mind that water will run down the bank, so soak the roots of the plants before you bed them in.

 

Tired lavender

A large lavender plant in our border has gone woody and the stems are splaying out. We've had it for some years. Can I rejuvenate it with pruning?

Once lavender has gone woody there's little you can do, because new shoots won't sprout from the old wood. Your best bet is to dig it up and replace it. Keep lavender plants bushy and compact in future by pruning them into a uniform shape every summer when flowering has finished - but be sure to cut back only the leafy growth, never the woody stems.

 

Patio makeover

We moved recently, and although the patio is a suntrap, it's rather ugly as the last owners went overboard with concrete paving. How can we make it look better without replacing it? I don't want lots of containers because we go away a lot.

 

Look to tough, go-it-alone plants to dress up your patio. I suggest prising up the odd paving stone and replacing it with soil so you can plant some hard-wearing thymes. These aromatic herbs don't mind the odd footfall, produce mats of summer flowers above their dainty foliage and, once established, need no watering or feeding. I'd also invest in several large tubs, all of the same size - which dry out less quickly than small pots. Fill them with drought-tolerant succulents such as agaves, houseleeks and echeverias, all of which thrive on neglect.

 

Butterfly haven

I'd like to make a flower border for this summer that will bring in bees and butterflies. What should I be planting?

 

Nectar-rich plants, especially in a sunny, sheltered spot, are irresistible to bees, bugs and butterflies. I would definitely include a buddleia, known for good reason as the butterfly bush - hard-prune it in early spring for max flower power. You must have lavender, too, which bees and hoverflies love, as well as thyme and marjoram.

Verbena bonariensis, an airy, tall plant with mauve flowers, is beloved of all kinds of insects. Salvia nemerosa's blue flower spikes last all summer and are a magnet for butterflies, as are flat sedum flower heads and the soft lilac flowers of catmint. Lantana camara is a colourful bedding plant that's such a hit with butterflies it's used in research programmes. Coneflower Echinacea purpurea will add colour later in the year, as will the rich, golden daisies of Rudbeckia Goldsturm. Dig in a good fertiliser before you start planting to make sure your bee and butterfly border gets a flying start!

Allaboutyou adds: Bring more wildlife into the garden

 

---

You might also like...

Good gardening guide: find expert advice, jobs this month and lots more

 

 

Subscribe - SAVE up to 43%