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 How do I brighten up a tiny, north-facing courtyard surrounded by high, brick walls? – Laura Edwards, Carlisle.

A Paint the walls white, add trellis in a contrasting shade such as sage green, then use these to garden horizontally, planting climbers such as Hydrangea petiolaris. Add pots of white flowers such as tulips for spring and argyranthemums for summer.

Fork over leaf piles to aid decomposition and speed up the formation of leaf mould.

Q Several of my rhododendrons have been badly damaged by the cold weather. Will they recover? – Mike White, by email.

A That depends – some are hardier than others and even the hardiest can succumb to frost while immature. In future, cover any that have recently gone into the ground with fleece on very cold nights.

Once sweet peas have germinated, move them rapidly to a cool position to prevent them from becoming lanky.

Q A few bulrushes appeared when we dug our pond, now they have almost taken over. How do we remove them? – David Tait, Newburgh.

A Pull on your waders and get into the water to tackle them. It’s a task you are going to have to undertake annually.

Be ready to move young plants under cover when frost is forecast. Plants need protection in their early stages.

Q I’m fed up having to kill the wasps that nest in my garden every year. Is there any way to deter them without using chemicals? – Mandy Lawson, Ayr.

A Hang a Waspinator. These large paper lanterns mimic the look of a nest and persuade visiting wasps to go elsewhere.

Getting a new hair do? Trimmings, stuffed into old tights and hung from branches, can help to deter deer from eating shrubs.

Q Can I bring on tender perennial plug plants in an unheated greenhouse? – Suzy Connor, by email.

A Tender perennials really need a little bit of warmth while they are very young, so hold off from buying the smallest plug plants and wait until larger plugs have appeared in the garden centre. These will be better able to tolerate cold night-time temperatures.

Check on newly-planted onion sets to ensure birds aren’t pulling them from soil. Firm back any that have been lifted.