GARDEN GURU

Q I have an Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ that has produced a 3ft flower stalk. I understand the plant usually dies at this point but sometimes produce ‘babies’. However, mine hasn’t. What can I do?

Eileen Hollis

A Sadly, nothing at all. This beautiful variegated aeonium is indeed monocarpic, meaning the rosette will die once it flowers. So, enjoy the floral display and snap up another when you get the opportunity.

Q I have five-year-old wallflower with orange flowers that I grew from seed. It’s now over 6ft tall and has a stem thicker than a thumb. I would love to know what it actually is.

Pat Ellison-Reed

A Many thanks for emailing me your photo. I have never seen such a statuesque specimen before and suspect it’s a quirk of nature rather than an unusual variety. There could be several reasons for this – pruning, your soil or maybe its position. For example, a wallflower in slight shade is more likely to be lankier than one in sun.

Q We’re moving house and would like to take our fiveyear-old olive tree with us. Is that possible?

Thomas Haughey

A Plants that have been in the ground for five years or less should be straightforward to transplant. Remove a large rootball using the extent of the branches as a guide. Wrap it in polythene and replant promptly, or put in a large pot. Keep it well watered.