The Mail on Sunday

GARDEN GURU

- Got a problem in your plot? Email Martyn Cox at info@martyncox.biz

I’ve moved house and Q inherited a hedge made up of plants with black berries. Can you identify the plant, and is it harmful to dogs? Philip Harrison

Thanks for the photograph. A It’s a privet hedge. The berries are rarely seen, as hedges are generally trimmed at least twice a year to keep a tight shape. The berries are toxic to dogs, so keep trimming the hedge regularly to prevent flowers forming.

Q I have a ‘Lucky Berry’ blueberry plant that has just produced a lot of flowers and fruit. I don’t expect to be picking blueberrie­s at this time of year so should I pick them off to prevent the plant wasting energy?

Alan Osman

A Launched in 2019, ‘Lucky Berry’ is a new strain of blueberry that generally bears drop-shaped fruit over a four-month period, from July to October. It will sometimes produce flowers outside of the main picking period, so I would leave them and enjoy a late crop.

Q I planted Verbena ‘Endurascap­e’ earlier this year. It is now 3ft tall. Do I need to prune it?

Stephen Davies

A Verbena ‘Endurascap­e’ is a recent debutante from across the pond, which looks like a bedding verbena but is hardy down to minus 10C. Ensure plants remain compact by cutting back in late winter before new growth appears in spring.

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