Ask Gerry

transferred to container with own soil and now dying

I have just moved a camellia from a large pot into the ground . It had flowered beautifully last year but had dropped all its flowers this year and looks a bit wan! Is there anything special I can do to help it settle in its new home. I have placed it in an acid bed and on a west facing wall. Should I prune it and how severely? Many thanks

Is there any general purpose compost suitable for ericaceous plants. i got some conifer and thymus doone valley. how can they be in the same container when one is a lime hater and the other is not

I have 2 bay trees outside front door and they appear to have been badly burnt by severe wind....should I cut them back and feed and hope for the best ? Would they have a better chance of recovery if planted in the garden.

what is my choice of evergreen climbers? I know there is ivy, cissus, evergreen clematis and an evergreen hydrandea. have I any other choices? Also some climber for a north facing wall

I have a hebe that is overgrowing the other plants near it and I would like to remove it to another part of the garden. When is it possible to do this and what precautions should I take as I'd like to keep the plant just in a different spot! It is quite large . Also, I have a lavender bush that is going the same way and need similar advice .

I have a couple of spruce including a blue spruce i only bought last year,also a holly only maybe two year old potted in decent pots. this year as we came in to spring we started loosing all the pines, the same on the holly. This has continued and the holly is almost leafless. I tried re-potting with a larger pot and good compost but to no avail. all the pine seem to go red before dropping.

I am going to set some laurel to replace my old hedge. Could you please advise which is better- to set the potted Laurel soon or wait till winter for the bareroot season?? any tips on maintaining them for their first year?

Recently purchased magnolia 'Felix', I have lime soil and wonder if it will tolerate it?

is it possible to move a judas tree? its surrounded by golden willows and its not getting much light.

when is the best time or is there any, when planting potted leylandii that are about 2 ft tall? would June be ok?

I planted some prickly heath shrubs last year and the winter has played havoc with them, 2 are dead but the rest are savageable (i think). they may have been too small when i planted them out. can you please recommend something that may encourage revival, some are not too bad but some only have a small bit of foliage.

i have two flowering quinces that aren't doing well in the spot they're in.. when can i move and prune them?

Is it possible to take cuttings from a laurel tree?

What's the best way to prepare the ground on the lawn for planting a shrubbery? Do I need to kill off the grass first?