Rose replacement
QOur orange rose has succumbed to drought. What can I do?
AIt’s disappointing that your community garden’s orange rose has failed, Ian. Before replacing it, make sure you add in lots of organic matter to improve the soil, and don’t plant it in exactly the same place as the previous specimen. Try to ensure that the root system will only extend into fresh soil, and add mycorrhizal fungi such as Rootgrow (£9.99 for 360g) to the roots as you plant. David Austin’s double-flowered English shrub rose ‘Lady of Shalott’ (inset above) looks similar to your cultivar, but if you just want a splash of guaranteed orange flowers, it might be easier to plant annuals such as rudbeckias, French or pot marigolds?
Q Will any trees cope with growing in shade?
A Most trees cast shade rather than thrive in shade, so your best options are large shrubs such as hollies (ilex) and common and Portugal laurel. If you have room for a wide specimen, Fatsia japonica has dramatic foliage or try slow-growing Osmanthus heterophyllus (above), Viburnum hillieri or V. rhytidophyllum.
Q When’s the best time to move a potted climbing rose?
A Roses in pots can be moved at any time, but because you’ll need to cut it back to remove it from its present trellis or support, the best time to prune and move it is in March. It could be repotted into fresh compost at the same time.
Q Did chalk soil cause patterning on cotinus leaves?
A Cotinus coggygria doesn’t mind a chalky soil. In fact, these markings are more likely the result of our hot dry summer. Even in a normal summer, chalky soils are often very dry and the lack of water, combined with the normal decline of leaves in autumn, caused these pretty patterns.
Q Ivy benefits wildlife, so why kill it in a hedge?
A Although ivy can be controlled with regular trimming, it’s important to keep it from choking other plants in a garden situation. Used carefully when the hawthorn is dormant , a glyphosate gel will cause minimal damage to wildlife. Your suggestion that the area around the hedge could be planted with less invasive native wildflowers is certainly a good one.
Q Can we save our dying photinia?
A Try cutting out the dead part of your photinia, then see if the living half will grow and fill in the gap. Last year’s dry summer may have compounded an existing root problem. These shrubs can suffer from coral spot fungus if dead shoots aren’t trimmed out, so remove the dead bits promptly. Fire blight tends to affect discrete areas on a plant, rather than killing a whole chunk at once.