Q What can we grow on a high-altitude plot with poor soil?
Jackie and Colin Carnell, Cumbria
A CHRISTINE SAYS Whatever you choose will have to be tough and hardy. Plants to try include bergenias, epimediums, Euphorbia amygdaloides, geraniums, hellebores, lamiums, pulmonarias and Pulsatilla vulgaris. Alchemilla mollis, Meconopsis cambrica, Potentilla atrosanguinea, tiarella and many sedums should work if protected from grazing animals. It’s easier to get plants to establish if they are pot grown rather than young seedlings, and if you need to protect them from grazing herbivores, try using an animal deterrent based on calcium chloride. Also, when planting out larger plants, using some form of windbreak will help to reduce any early losses. Incorporate large amounts of organic matter to improve the soil’s structure and moisture retention. A PIPPA SAYS The first thing I would do is look at what your neighbours are managing to grow – you could even ask them for cuttings, which will save you a lot of money, time and heartache. The elevation and wind-swept situation is best tackled by choice of plants, installation method and windbreaks. Go for younger plants as their age and small size will help them to establish better than mature, larger ones, and they’ll be less likely to be buffeted and dislodged by the wind. Also, try to get locally grown specimens as they’ll have a degree of inherent toughness.