Ask Gerry

I have this growing profusely between the block paving around the house We are surrounded by trees. Is it a weed or a moss and how could I treat it ?

I am new to gardening and have a large garden of which we have done little with over the last 12 years. I want to plant shrubs and perennials in a large bed which is approx. 4.5 metres by 1.5 metres and is at the front of my two storey house. Please give me tips on how to prepare bed/grass before planting. I hear mixed reports on using mypex, fine mulch? What is best?

I successfully propagated a number of hydrangea and roses from stems last year, however they all got destroyed in the winter storms when my small greenhouse was damaged. I'd like to get an early start on the season by propagating them again as early as possible and heard somewhere that taking cuttings from the underground roots of the plant is the only way to propagate at this time of year. Do you have any tips for this type of growth?

I need to build up the level of my garden by 0.5m, how do i do this?I'm starting my garden from scratch and want to plant a lawn, shrubs and veg.

Can you use Wood Briquette ash in the border?

I seem to have all sorts of weird goings on at my place, here is another, i presume some type of mushroom, at first i though they were crow feathers but no, it's the black ones rather than the cream mushrooms behind.

I have the attached in gravel/ stones, all over the place, looks like seaweed but i live in the country and miles away from the sea. Its slimy and very slippy if walked upon.

How can I improve the soil in my garden? It is dry and lumpy and seems to flood easily. When I dig into it, it doesn't crumble. When I water the plants it seems to take time to drain.

I would like to store seeds in old plastic containers from multivitamins that have moisture eliminating tops. What would you recommend?

Last year, we appeared to have a batch of ground wasps in our lawn. They were brown, small and came up from the soil through tiny funnel like entrances/exits. They were gone by the end of June/early July, but they are back. How can I get rid of them so they don't return next year? They appear to be in greater numbers this year.

Can I add briquette ash to my compost heap, when it's cold !