GARDEN GURU

Over the past three to Q four months, a mysterious mound has developed under our bird-feeders. What do you think it is?

Will Jones

I suspect that the mound A is simply an accumulation of spilt seeds and husks, while the coarse grass covering the ‘mound’ is one of the ingredients of the seed mix that has sprouted. You should be able to pull the stuff up easily – avoid problems in the future by filling feeders with a ‘no-waste’ type mix.

I have two Clematis ‘Winter Q Beauty’ in my garden. When and how should I prune them? Ann Munson

Clematis ‘Winter Beauty’ A doesn’t require regular pruning. Simply cut back stems to control its spread.

Carry out work in mid to late spring, if required.

My daughter has a very Q small garden. Last year she planted up beds but everything was eaten by slugs. As she doesn’t want to use slug pellets, I wondered if there any bedding plants that slugs don’t like.

Pat Cull

As far as I know, no bedding A

plants are slug-proof but fuchsias, pelargoniums and China pinks seem to fare better than most. Your daughter could grow other varieties in containers, which would make it harder for slugs to seek them out.