Easy answers!
Dr Waheed Arshad, Botanical Specialist at Candide Gardening, answers your burning questions
Dr Waheed Arshad, Botanical Specialist at Candide Gardening, solves some of your horticultural dilemmas
Shady walls
Q My back fence is in permanent shade. What shrubs or climbers would be best? I would like something that will look good all year.
A My initial thoughts favour the Jenny Wren’s favourite nesting site – ivy. Try variegated cultivars, such as Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’, that provide a splash of colour. Ivies produce late-season pollen and nectar, but divide opinion because of their vigorous growth. Euonymus fortunei and its cultivars are alternatives. Depending on the height of your fence, Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’, a more compact evergreen shrub, may be suitable, with its yellow-margined leaves that tinge pink in winter. My last suggestion is Trachelospermum jasminoides (star of Toscana, or star jasmine). Its creamy, star-shaped flowers fill the air with a sweet fragrance. Do not plant it too close to the fence or wall, to aid root development and help it establish. Angle it towards the support, keep it well-hydrated, and your fence line will see a transformation.