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Q – I have a wormery – what would be best to use the liquid for? Leaves or flowers?

Bob – A wormery is like a compost heap but with worms working it so you get a run off at the bottom of it.  It’s a very good liquid feed.  Strong but not too rich.  You can use it on pretty much anything but always dilute it down.  One cup of the liquid to every two-gallon (9 litre) watering can.  All through the season.

Bunny – I dilute it and put it in my pots. 

Bunny – It’s very common in compacted, wet soil.  You can get an all-terrain aerator to boost the surrounding soil.  If you can raise the planting area by adding more organic matter (especially green waste from local authorities) you can help drainage and aeration.  I would go for Hawthorn as it’s resilient.

Anne – Take the shrubs out and try growing some prairie herbaceous perennials – do something completely different.  Let the soil rest for a bit and then after a few years you could reintroduce some more woody plants.

Q – I’m converting a piece of concrete into a patio.  I’d like to grow climbing roses from tubs.  Advice please.

Anne – Depends on how big a tub you have.  If you fill 50cm x 50cm (20 x 20 inches) tubs with really good compost (John Innes No 2 and equal mix of soil free and some garden compost and grit).  They will need lots of regular watering and feeding.  Use a slow-release fertiliser in the spring to get them going and then again when they’re coming into flower.

Try – English shrub roses.  A rambler like ‘Félicité Perpétue’.

Bunny – I’d really have a go at breaking the concrete and planting into the ground.  ‘Mayflower’ is a very good English rose that is hardy.

Q – What’s a sure-fire way of growing Peonies?

Anne – They rather like clay soil and they love to be in their own space.  Good, cultivated soil in a nice sunny position too.  When you plant them make sure their growth buds are not buried by more than an inch of soil.

Bunny – Don’t mulch them up around the crown – you need to allow them to get air to the roots.

Bob – They’re very closely related to Buttercups and are very hungry feeders.  So dig a big whole and add some bonemeal if you can afford it.

Q – My kitchen garden is south facing but I can see Hellvellyn to one side and the Pennines to the other so we are windswept whichever the weather.  We are elevated to 800ft+ (245m+).  Could the panel suggest some winter vegetable varieties that will withstand the wind?

Bob – Not many things grow in winter anyway so things that you grow in summer and then cover up might be better eg carrots, parsnips etc.  Brussel sprouts – grow them in threes about 2-3ft (0.6m–0.9m) apart and then tie them together at the top to make a tripod.  Is a good alternative to staking.  Also, invest in fleece and put it on stakes around the plants to break the wind. 

Bunny – Can you get any hedging in to screen part of the area?  I would do a stout, Hawthorn hedge. 

Anne – I use mesh rather than fleece and I weigh it down over the crops with walling stones.

Q – We are entering Cumbria in Bloom – what top tips can you give us to make sure we impress the judges with our wildlife?

Bob – Have something with water.  Birds need bird baths etc.  Put in bird boxes and toad boxes too.  Bundles of hollow stemmed stuff for ladybirds and hoverflies. 

Anne – Wildlife need cover and thickets. 

Bunny – Do a thoroughly big pool with stepping stones, watercress area, lots of marginal planting around the edge, paddling pool.

Topical tips:

Anne – There’s an old Chinese saying, ‘The best manure is the shadow of the gardener’.  At this time of the year with growth at its peak this is very true.  Go round regularly looking for primroses that need dividing, plants like Dimorphotheca that need deadheading, tomatoes that need side shoots taking off.  Get out there and get busy!

Bunny – After all that work you’ll need a herbal tea to relax and I’d recommend Verve.  The French call is Te sans de Verve or Aloysia citrodora.  It might also be called Lipia or tryphilla as it keeps changing its name.  Lemon scented and a natural mild sedative, perfect before bed!

Bob – I’m setting out wasp traps because the last few years they’ve eaten all my fruit!  If you trap the scouts early then they don’t bring their friends later in the summer!

Q – I live on the lower slops of Skiddaw, so my garden is composed mostly of shillies and is in need of soil.  Do you have suggestions for making/getting soil without buying it?

Bob – The best way is to take turf and rot it down.  Help neighbours out with their gardens and take their garden away for your own compost.