Thompson & Morgan Facebook Q&A Session 24th November 2014 - Your horticultural questions answered.

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Name: Vicky Read

Question: Hi, I only have pots in my garden, due to having a little dog who likes to dig! Can you suggest what and when I should start planting? I like colour but flowers that don't need a lot of care and attention?

Answer: Hello Vicky. There are lots of low maintenance plants to choose from but remember that anything that you grow in a container will need watering and feeding, so it won’t be completely maintenance free. If you are clever about it you can have different containers that provide colour at different times of the year, and simply move the containers into prominent positions as they come into flower. You can plant perennials and shrubs this spring. Bulbs are best left to the autumn.

Bulbs are excellent for creating low maintenance containers that will give you a long period of interest. For a succession of flowers in spring, try planting them in layers - Daffodils at the bottom, then Tulips, and finally Crocus at the top. Summer flowering bulbs such as Alliums also make a striking display. You could underplant them with something low growing such as Aubrieta .

How about some shrubs for larger containers? Daphne x transatlantica 'Eternal Fragrance' makes a good specimen shrub with evergreen foliage, flowers and fragrance.

Primroses, Dianthus, Armeria and Winter Aconites are also low maintenance and will give lots of colour at different times of the year. Hopefully that gives you a few ideas to get you started. Best of luck.

Name: Anna Simon

Question: When is the best time to plant out cob nut saplings? Thanks.

Answer: Hi Anna. Hazel is really hardy and should establish fairly quickly. You can plant them out any time before the end of March, so long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.