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Q.     I fancy planting a Magnolia. Which variety is best and what tips do you have?

A.    There are many varieties of Magnolia, but there are three major popular varieties seen in most gardens. 'Soulangeana' and 'Stellata' with white flowers and 'Nigra' with white flowers with a purple stripe. Also to a lesser extent 'Rubra', with a reddish flower in late summer. Although decked with marvellous flowers 'Soulangeana' is a plant for only the large garden easily reaching the height of your house.

Stellata with it masses of star like flowers is the best for the small garden staying a compact bush, Nigra has similar dimensions. Magnolias like good rich soil until established, then they will look after themselves. Incidentally I have seen Japanese houses filled with Bonsai versions of the Stellata absolutely covered in tiny white flowers.

Q.     How do I grow Asparagus?

A.    Construct a raised bed about 2-meters by 1-meter floor area and about half a meter high. Mix plenty of organic material into the structure and if your soil is heavy, some small gravel. Dormant plants are available from seed merchants and specialist growers and are called asparagus crowns. These you plant up to their necks in the top of the bed, water well and leave for five years to establish. Only then can you enjoy the fruits of your labours.

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Q.     I have planted several Lewisia plants over the years but they always seem to die over winter. They are supposed to be hardy, what is going wrong?

A.    Lewisias suffer from rotting in the winter and should always be planted on steeply sloping ground where there is no danger of waterlogging. Some experts recomend planting in cracks in stone walls. It is helpful to cover the plant in midwinter to protect it from the wettest conditions. People with glasshouses often keep the plant permanently in a large pot and plunge the pot into the ground for the summer months and bring indoors for the winter. A bonus with this method is a wonderful show of flowers early in the spring. Best variety, 'Lewisia cotyledon hybrid'.

Q.    Someone recently gave me a vary interesting plant and I am trying to find out what it is called. It just looks like a stick and has a small yellow flower growing at the top. The flower has a very sweet, tropical smell, almost like a pineapple. I was told to stick it in the dirt, just deep enough to keep it upright. It apparently doesn't require much water or work and will grow several feet tall. Can you tell me what this is? Sharon

A.    This plant sounds like the lazy gardeners dream plant. From your discription the only plant I can think of is yellow winter jasmine.

Q.     I fancy installing decking in my garden could you advise me?

A.    Firstly let me say, decking is very good in theory but in practice there are snags. A big snag is rats and mice, which seem to delight in setting up home under the deck, so if you have a few cats and a terrier and your neighbours don't mind, go ahead. If you are putting the job on your mortgage and employing professionals a very good job can be made and this is the best way to do it.

Nevertheless pine and other cheaper woods will give value for money, but make sure that the wood is pressure treated with preservative (Tannellised). Also in a few years' time you may wish to discard the decking when implementing a new garden plan, so make sure you can dispose of all that concrete without having to wheel it though the house.

Q.     I wish to plant a hedge around my new garden what plants do you advise?

A.    The traditional plant for hedging is the Hawthorn, nice white or pink flowers in the spring followed by red berries in autumn to feed the birds. Snags are nasty thorns that the children might not like and rampant outward growth when established.

A popular hedging plant is the common Beech; this has green leaves in summer, which turn reddish in autumn and remain on the plant well into winter. Golden and Green Privet were once very popular both are evergreen but lacking thorns do not deter children and dogs. Hornbeam is another quick growing traditional plant. Berberis 'Stenophylla' with lovely yellow flowers has thorns and is evergreen.