Ask Gerry

Can you identify the attached please ?. I am worried it is Japanese hogweed.

I transplanted red dogwood I found in the bog earlier this year. It started to grow and looked well, new leaves and all. Now leaves are turning black on some plants and all the green vegetation is blackening on those sick plants. I am afraid it might spread - what ever it is?

I inherited this tree in a pot with the house.It had 2 leaves at first but has added some in the last 2 years.Can you tell me what it is?

What plants would you suggest I use to conceal the concrete box in the foreground of the attached photo? I have planted Cotoneaster horizontalis around the box to the background. The surrounding lawn has Maples, Silver Birch and Mountain Ash. This lawn gets morning and full afternoon sun. Your expert advise would be greatly appreciated.

Making a large heatherbed (70 m2). Using mainly winterflowering heathers and some conifers.What other small flowering shrubs/perennials can be added to have some colour in the summer/autumn? The area gets full sun and is exposed to wind. Soil is clay and some added mosspeat.

I have a numer of weigela plants. They are in flower at the moment, but the cats are eating the flowers. Why do they do this and is it normal?

I planted a bareroot Acer campestre hedge 12 months ago . For what i know is that Decidous trees start to get new leaves in April . Is it too early for my hedge to be coming into leaf ?. Most of the hedge is showing swelling green buds .

I have some ivy on a wall of my house that has no insulation and I'm hoping it will raise the insulation level a bit and not cause dampness or damage the wall in any way. I hope keeping it trimmed and away from wood, gutters etc is enough to avoid probs?

looking for ideas for wet area at bottom of lawn. water remains for long period and ground never dries. drainage isnt an option.

I planted a Katsura tree in early November and have to move it. It's about nine feet high. I'v read that they don't like being moved and am wondering if it would come to any harm being moved so soon again? Also would putting straw in the new planting hole help to establish rooting quicker?