Problems solved by the Garden Doctor

SELF CLINGING PLANTS

Q. I have a south westerly facing wall about 25 foot high which I would like to cover. However I am unable to attach anything supporting, such as trellis etc, to the wall (legal reasons). Can you recommend self clinging plants that would be suitable for the job?

A. Ivy (Hedera) will be your best bet. Any soil will do, thrives in shade and sun. Choose 'Goldheart' for a splash of yellow on the wall, or Irish Ivy (Hedera hibernica) for fast evergreen dark leaved cover. If you have fertile, free draining soil, Parthenocissus (Virginia Creeper)is a more decorative option - the leaves turn bright red in autumn. But beware - if they don't want you to attach trellis, they might not be too happy about self clinging plants either.

ANNUALS IN THE ROSE GARDEN?

Q. I would like to plant some annuals - maybe pansies? - in my rose garden under the bushes. Would that affect my standard roses? My mum taught me that roses should be on their own.

A. They won't affect your roses at all. In fact, pansies are often considered a traditional underplanting for roses and look very pretty with them. Alchemilla mollis (a low-growing perennial) is also supposed to work well. It is a personal favourite, because the acid-green flowers show most roses off to great advantage. Be careful when planting though not to trample to heavily around the roses' roots.

WHAT ARE THESE EGGS?

Q. I was recently weeding the back garden borders, (damp clay soil) and found lots of mounds of little translucent eggs - would these be slug or snail eggs?

A. Yes, probably, though if you've recently planted a lot of plants from a garden centre they could be old fertiliser granules. We use them quite a bit at Greenleaf, to promote healthy growth. Best to dispose of them anyway just in case. Dropping them into a jug of salty water should finish them off.  You might want to think about using slug pellets in future - Greenleaf sell a range which are guaranteed pet-safe.

CAN I GROW MY OWN MUSHROOMS?

Q. I saw a grow your own mushroom kit on TV the other day - do you know where I can get one?

A. Greenleaf sell two types of mushroom kit - a simple plastic tray with mushroom spores that you grow in the dark, and preseeded mushroom logs from Future Foods for decorative garden use. These come with Common Oyster Mushroom, Golden Oyster Mushroom, Shiitake or Wood Blewit, and we charge from £25.95 for them.

SCENTED PERENNIALS FOR A DIFFICULT GARDEN

Q. What scented perennials can you recommend for the north-west of England, heavy clay, slightly alkaline soil, wet in winter, caked in summer? Soil doesn't seem to like roses, unfortunately, as 3/4 of ours have died.

A. You need to start adding humus - manure or compost - and sharp sand to your soil to improve it (we can supply both of these - as you are in the North West, why not come and see us!). But perennial wallflowers (Cheiranthus sp) hardy geraniums (there are lots to choose from), alchemilla, symphytum, pulmonaria, campanula, astilbe, catmint, and melissa should all do well in your soil - and even better once you start to improve it.