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 Sections of my Leylandii hedge have turned brown. Can I cut these out?

– M. Torrance, Kilmarnock.

A Conifers will not regenerate if you cut beyond the point at which they start producing green shoots so if large areas of yours have turned brown then you may have to remove the whole hedge.

Lay new lawns and repair areas of mature lawns by cutting out damaged sections and replacing them with turf.

Q I’ve just moved into a basement flat that has a tiny courtyard. It is sheltered but shady and I want to make it feel like an oasis. How do I go about it? – Linda Robertson, Edinburgh.

A Use big containers and underplant everything with bulbs to add a layer of colour. Choose a few oversized plants such as bamboos, and add troughs and baskets to the walls to clothe them in greenery.

Remove offsets from succulents and plant into gritty soil, soak thoroughly and then don’t water again until soil is dry.

Q My hydrangea paniculata has grown into a really big shrub and the flower spikes have become too tall. Can I cut it back? – Mark Wallace, Glenrothes.

A This is one of the few kinds of hydrangea that does tolerate hard pruning. Wait until the end of winter then cut it down to the ground and it will regenerate quite happily.

Plant garlic now, adding lime if the soil is acidic.

Q We are told not to tidy up our gardens in autumn, but how do we prevent them from looking tatty? – M Dorran, Kilsyth.

A As a rule of thumb, remove any foliage that turns yellow and mushy and leave tall, upright stems in place. Leaf piles can be in discreet corners and a thick layer of mulch will be beneficial to lots of wildlife and help to make the garden look tidy.

Insulate greenhouses by taping sheets of bubblewrap to the inside of the glass.

Q We are considering moving house and I’d like to know if I can take some of my favourite shrubs with me. – Mrs G. Mitchell, Broughty Ferry.

A If you’ve got some time before you move then cut a trench around the shrubs, severing their roots. Backfill this with soil and within a year a new, dense rootball will have formed making the shrubs easier to dig up and replant.

Fallen leaves can be raked on to areas

of bare soil and left to break down.