Potting Shed Welcome to my potting shed! This is the column where I’ll share all my gardening hints and tips – and I’ll try to answer any queries you may have.

I’ve got a small conifer that I’d like to move from its current position. Can I do that now or should I wait until spring? – Graeme Flynn, Dunoon

Conifers are best moved during the winter months, but because they don’t lose their needles you will need to keep watering the tree until it becomes established.

Can I keep my begonias alive until next year? I don’t have a greenhouse. – Frances Mulligan, Alexandria

Dig up your begonias, remove most of the leaves then leave the tubers to dry somewhere warm indoors for a week before placing them in paper bags and storing them until spring.

Why do winter flowering pansies not flower all the way through the season? – Jane Markham, by email

Cold temperatures can shut down flower production, but your pansies should begin performing again in mild spells.

Are perennial wallflowers hardy? – Brian Forsyth, by email

Yes they are, but they aren’t long-lived plants, so it makes sense to take a few cuttings.

I’ve got a phormium that’s looking a bit tatty. Can I remove the damaged leaves? – Ailsa Mearns, Denny

Remove completely any dead stems but for those that are just crispy at the tip, cut under the brown patch at an angle.