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Q – My daughter has moved into a house with a rampant evergreen vine up the wall.Ìý We believe it’s a Sausage Vine (Holboellia coriacea) but we don’t know how/when to cut it back in order to see out of the windows.Ìý What should we do?

Matt – Prune in the spring once frost has finished.Ìý Cut it back to a junction of another root and go back quite far as it will bounce back.Ìý Prune it back bit by bit over a few years.Ìý

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Matthew – If she’s just moved in, why not give her some moving-in presents like an Eggplant, Pignut, Lamb’s-Ear, Turkey Oak… make a mixed grill!

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Q – What is your favourite Hydrangea?

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Anne – aspera are nice.Ìý I would go for paniculata; one like ‘Limelight’.Ìý There are some new ones with dubious names like ‘Pinky Winky’ but they’re very good.

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Matthew – I have arborescens ‘Annabelle’ in my garden.Ìý

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Matt – I like the climbing Hydrangea.Ìý

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Q – What considerations should a balcony gardener take into account to make the most impact throughout the year?

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Matthew – Remember, when gardening in containers, you still need to water even if it has been raining.Ìý

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Anne – I saw someone put Camellias on the seafront once and they didn’t work out well!Ìý Nothing woodland is going to appreciate a balcony.Ìý Phormium, Bamboos, and Agaves worked.Ìý

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Feature:

Gleditsia triacanthos ‘S³Ü²Ô²ú³Ü°ù²õ³Ù’

Grasswort

Japanese Rhododendron yakushimanum

Tulips

Azaleas

Primrose

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Q – We planted a pleached Hornbeam hedge a year ago and we’d be grateful for planting ideas at its feet.Ìý

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Anne – You’ve essentially got dry shade then.Ìý I would use hardy Geraniums, Polystichum setiferum (Soft Shield fern), Lamium orvala.Ìý Bulbs like Scillas and Chionodoxas too.

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Matt – Geranium phaeum ‘Lily Lovell’ and ‘Samobor’. Geranium macrorrhizum.Ìý Cyclamen hederifolium

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Matthew – Osmanthus heterophyllus in ball form.Ìý Driopteris eurethosora.Ìý Polystichum setiferum ‘H±ð°ù°ù±ð²Ô³ó²¹³Ü²õ±ð²Ô’. Deschampsia ‘Golden Veil’

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Q – We have a number of Scots Pine.Ìý One appears to be dead and a year ago it’s bark went a deep red and then peeled away.Ìý Is this a problem for the rest of the trees?

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Matthew – If the tree was diseased you should have it removed.Ìý If it’s dying through old age etc then there’s no need.Ìý Send a sample away to confirm.Ìý

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Q – How can I revive a standard Photinia that’s one of a row of five that was nearly uprooted in this summer’s gales?Ìý

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Anne – You need to reduce the top of the plant.Ìý Do that in spring.Ìý

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Matthew – When you’ve reduced the canopy use a folia feed to give it a boost

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Q – Which tree would you like to grow in your garden but can’t?

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Matthew – I could never get away with Oxydendrum and Nyssas in my soil.Ìý

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Matt – I was struck by the Sequoiadendron giganteum here at Frogmore.Ìý

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