Welcome to my potting shed! This is the column where I’ll share all my gardening hints and tips – and I’ll try to answer any queries you may have.

Q My roses were badly affected by blackspot last year. Is there any way to stop it returning? – Lisa Caulder, Erskine.

A Keeping your plants healthy, removing all affected leaves as soon as they appear and spacing the roses out so air can circulate between them will help. If you use fungicide then spray fortnightly, starting when the leaves are 5cm in length.

Deadhead early-flowering daffs so the

bulbs build up strength for next year.

Q My rosemary bush has become huge and sprawling. Can I cut it back without killing it? – James Douglas, Irvine.

A Rosemary will survive a hard pruning and will regenerate if cut back to near the base.

Watch out for weeds, hoeing regularly to

remove annuals and lifting dandelions and other perennial weeds with a trowel.

Q I have a couple of sunken spots in my lawn. How do I tackle these? – B. Webster.

A Fill in the depressions with topsoil and sow grass seed on top. Alternatively, cover the holes with 1cm of topsoil at a time, allowing the grass beneath to grow through before repeating the process. Keep repeating until the lawn is level once again.

Apply a controlled-release fertiliser to

plants in containers and water in. Water regularly so those in pots don’t dry out.

Q Is it worth paying extra to plant snowdrops ‘in the green’? – Kathleen Bishop, Corstorphine.

A If you just want a few, named snowdrops, then buying them while their leaves are still green is worth the expense. However if you are planning to cover a large area, stick with dry bulbs, plant in autumn, then split up regularly in spring to encourage spread.

Remove dead foliage from phormiums

and trim tips of leaves that have turned brown or split, cutting at a sharp angle.

Q How can I get rid of brambles that have infested my hedge? – Marjorie Cruickshank, Crieff.

A Glyphosate will kill the brambles if used repeatedly, but there is a danger of splashing it on to the hedge. You may have to satisfy yourself with keeping the brambles at bay by cutting out stems as they appear.

If pruning of apple trees has stimulated

the growth of long, thin ‘water shoots’, cut off as close to the trunk as possible.