Ask Gerry

I am looking for a mahonia whose leaves turn orange I think it's called "orange flame" where can I buy it or is this the best mahonia for coloured leaves?

I have recently brought back some mistletoe from France, 1. how can I keep it till Christmas and 2. Can I graft it on to one of my apple trees?

Hi Gerry, A friend of mine gave me some of her left-over propagating successes but we can't identify this one. It has small thorns or spikes and grew quite rapidly over the summer.

I've been recommended this site by a friend and so wanted to ask your help in identifying this shrub; it's beginning to look a bit straggly since I took this photo so I'd like to be able to help it along.

I have an ugly wall i want to cover but its foundation is high and extends about 10 inches out what type of climber would grow without much soil or have you another idea and i cant paint it because its an old poor wall ?

what could I grow in front of these plants both are part of an informal hedge?

Hi Gerry, Thanks so much for the advice on the straggly rubus! This is a photo of the last plant to identify in our 'inherited' 4 acre garden, a long process! It's flowers have a really sweet fragrance and it's about 5 foot high.

This time of year when in the Phoenix park and some town parks I get a lovely scent from a large deciduous tree, its can be the size of a mature beech tree and the flowering part is a lighter green than the leaf, not very conspicuous but one can get a lovely scent wafting in the breeze. I don't know its name is.

Hi Gerry, Could you please take a look at the pictures attached and let me know what you think they are? This plant is growing in the dog run part of my garden next to a flowering crab apple and I just want to see how big it's going to get, it's over 5ft at the moment and looks like it's still growing!

Would you tell me what kind of wild shrub this is? The flowers have a nice sweet strong smell. It grows in Kerry, probably in some other parts of Ireland as well.

Philadelphus 2 year old shrub. Small light green leaf but no flowers. Otherwise healthy looking.

Please suggest plants for a slightly northern slope in an exposed area of central Scotland where temperature has been below -18 for several days at a time in the last two winters, add to this fierce wind which can be very desicating or rain snow sodden. I am especially looking for good sturdy hedging plants to keep the local farm animals from moving in, I am thinking about thujas as my laurels and leylandii do not appear to be coming back. Any suggestion greatfully received.

Do you know of anywhere I can purchase 'Early York' cabbage seeds. I cannot locate them online.

Five mature sycamore trees were planted five feet south of my garden wall by the developer on the weekend he put his houses on sale in 2007. They are now twenty feet high, are blocking my garden light completely and roots are invading my space. Charm wont work; with this guy it was always the "modh direach". Do I have any realistic, legal, neighbourly responses?

I recently planted over 380 ft of laurel hedging approx 2ft high. How often do i need to water them? Even on a showery day do i need to? any other after planting/care advice.