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Gardening and outdoor living FAQs

Clifton Nurseries' Tad Paluchowski's answers your horticultural queries



  • Garden herbs

  • Low-maintenance garden

  • Windowsill plants

  • Latest garden trends

  • Growing vegetables in a small space

  • How do I get an allotment?

  • Dealing with cats

  • Composting in a small garden

  • Seeds or cuttings?

  • Scented houseplants

  • Black grasses

  • Alternatives to outdoor heaters

  • How to create an instant garden

  • Dealing with foxes

  • Can I plant supermarket potted herbs?

  • How to create a modern look outdoors

    More gardening FAQs



  • Window box for pot plants

  • Paint matching for a garden fence

  • Alternatives to rattan-type cocoon garden chair

  • Help me find stylish garden fencing

  • Advice on building a garden studio

  • Fabulous wooden garden furniture

  • Where can I find Italianate planters?

  • The best material to replace the glass in a cast-iron canopy

  • Pigeon protection

  • Chinese lanterns

    Garden herbs


    When's the best time to plant herbs?
    You can buy pre-potted herbs from your local garden centre all year round, but tender hers such as basil are only sold from May onwards. Seeds are cheaper but, for those whose fingers aren't so green, they aren't always reliable. For an early summer crop, sow seeds between February and April.

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    Window box for pot plants


    I'd like to house some pot plants in a secure window box outside my second-floor flat living room. Can you suggest anything?
    You do see precariously placed pot plants on people's windowsills. A responsible solution is the galvanised wire Balconette, from £140, from Garden Requisites. They're strong, simple and unobtrusive when fitted and, unlike many lumpy wooden window boxes, don't deteriorate quickly with the weather.

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    Low-maintenance garden


    I'm away a lot - any suggestions for a low-maintenance garden?
    Choose slow-growing, drought-tolerant plants such as box (which adds structure) and phormium (left, great for its bold shapes). Lavender provides colour and scent, while silverbush, which has a long flowering period, produces beautiful white flowers. Herbs like sage, thyme and oregano don't need pruning too often and stand up well to our new climatic conditions. You could also choose stone paving instead of a lawn, and use gravel to suppress weeds in borders.

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    Windowsill plants


    All I have is a windowsill and a damp back step. Which plants would pretty them up?
    In summer, try growing seasonal flowering plants such as busy Lizzies, pansies and violas on your windowsill. Cyclamen and winter pansies would also do well in cooler months. Also choose these for your step if it's small, but if it's big enough, a shade-loving camellia, rhododendron or azalea

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    Latest garden trends


    Which garden looks are cool right now?
    Clever lighting schemes are a great way to make a stylish impact. Plants highlighted with under-lighting or smaller lights threaded through a lawn will instantly update a traditional garden. Striking, modern topiary – a world away from clipped hedges – is having a moment. Look out for abstract-shaped topiaries, such as those sold by Clifton Nurseries.

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    Growing vegetables in a small space


    I have a small terrace. Could I grow any vegetables there?
    Of course! If your garden gets six hours of sunlight each day, you can grow veg in anything that holds compost. Recycled crates, bags, plastic dustbins or tins can look striking in a small garden or on a terrace. To start with, try your hand at root vegetables and salad staples (such as lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and courgettes). For a successful crop, water plants regularly and feed them fortnightly with liquid fertilizer.

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    How do I get an allotment?


    I would really like to have my own allotment but I have heard that it is quite a challenge to get one. What do you advise?
    A decent plot is like gold dust, so waiting lists are long. Make enquiries at your local authority, as most allotments are allocated and managed by your council, even if they don't own the site. There are also trusts who run them and again, local councils would be the first place to make enquiries. Expect to pay around £32.30 a year (depending on where you live) for the standard 250 sq m, (or 10-pole plot, if you want to get with the lingo). If that's too daunting, start with a pint-sized 125 sq m.

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    Dealing with cats


    How do I keep neighbour's cats out of my garden?
    There are no plants that will really repel a cat. A movement detecting watering device may help, tough. Or get a cat of your own to fight them off!

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    Composting in a small garden


    I'd like to compost but only have a small patio and am worried about the smell!
    If compost is working properly, it shouldn't smell. Most commercially available composting containers work well and provide plenty of compost if instructions are followed.

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    Seeds or cuttings?


    Is it easier to grow from seeds or cuttings?
    Both have their merits. Plants that take well from a cutting tend to also grow easily from seed, so beginners should start with cuttings and progress to seeds as their confidence grows.

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    Scented houseplants



    Any suggestions for super fragrant plants that would mask smells such as food?
    Most food smells will overpower anything a plant can produce. However, pot plants such as jasmine, gardenias, narcissi and hyacinths all are super fragrant. Or just have lots of cut flowers – particularly lillies and sweet peas – around the house.

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    Black grasses


    I bought some black grass a few years ago, but it really isn't doing anything. Why not?
    It'll be either too wet or too dry. Or missing out on sunshine. Better to find plants that like the conditions you have, than trying to change the conditions to suit a plant you want.

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    Alternatives to outdoor heaters


    I'd like to sit out all-year round but have heard gas heaters are bad for the environment. Are there any alternatives?
    Start by wrapping up warmly and work hard in the garden and you'll keep warm even on the coldest day. Then find a sunny spot and plant shrubs that will stop the wind so you can sit and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Any quick growing evergreen will do the job. E.g. Pyracantha, Photinia, Poruguese laurel (Prunus Lusitanica) or again, you can get advice on which ones are available to buy instantly in large pots, depending on the time of year

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    How to create an instant garden


    I've got a bare garden but can't wait for trees to grow. How do I get the instant established look?
    Many garden centres now sell mature trees which can be planted at any time of the year (water well until established) The same goes for shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Instant gardens are available "off the shelf". You just have to pay the price for someone else to grow them for you before they are transplanted to their new home.

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    Dealing with foxes



    We have a fox in the garden. Should we be using an animal repellant?
    Foxes are protected, so your best bet is to call your council.

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    Can I plant supermarket potted herbs?


    I often buy those pots of basil or coriander in soil from the supermarket. Can they be planted out?
    They're really only suitable for immediate cropping and then disposal of pot. If you want to get a plant that's hardy enough to plant out, go to your garden centre. Herbs are VAT free (food), too, so good value.

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    How to create a modern look outdoors


    Are there any house plants that look modern and help to create a contemporary interior style?
    As you would with your decorating scheme, go for bold shapes and clean lines. Cycas Revoluta (shuttlecock); Large Cacti; Sansevieria (Mother-in-law's-tongue), Alloe Vera and large, white Phalaenopsis – Orchids should all do the trick. Bonsai are also particularly effective and allow for versatility with the pots.

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    Paint matching for a garden fence


    We're thinking of painting our garden fence to colour-match the green of our rhododendrons. How would we get the correct colour paint for this?
    Many DIY centres have Dulux's colour scanners installed, so it's worth a trip with a handful of leaves to get a colour code. For outdoor paints, there's a water-based Trade Weathershield quick- drying satin, which matches to about 600 colours. But you'll get the best colour match from the solvent-based exterior gloss, which can be matched to about 4,000 colours. Remember to prepare the surface properly first, sanding and using a primer/undercoat before applying a top coat.

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    Alternatives to rattan-type cocoon garden chair


    I've long fantasised about hanging a rattan-type cocoon chair from the tree in our garden, but having seen what happens to wicker when it's left outside, I wondered whether there's an alternative?
    If you're concerned about the durability of Nanna Ditzel's original 1959 Egg chair – available at Skandium from £1,757 – there are some alternatives. UK company Daro produces a synthetic woven version from around £550. Or see Great British Baskets' one in willow – it's just £169, so less of a worry if it does get damaged..

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    Help me find stylish garden fencing



    I have searched tirelessly for stylish garden fencing to create a modern garden like the ones I've seen in Livingetc. Ideally, I'd like a tongue-and-groove look, reinforced with metal for durability. Please help!
    It's likely that many of the designs you've seen were bespoke builds, created by garden design companies, so it can be hard to find similar ready-made styles. A decent chippy could recreate something you've seen, but for off-the-shelf options try Hillhout's large and tasteful selection of fence panels. Or, for a truly modern feel, see The Garden Trellis Company's slatted panels – you can customise them so they're as private or as open as you want.

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    Advice on building a garden studio


    Due to job changes we are looking at ways to work from home – with a noisy family around. Our garden is large enough to build a decent extension, but we'd like to ask for some guidance first.
    If you can afford it, an extension offers a versatile working/ living space – Apropos creates bespoke studio spaces and extensions. Don't forget you'll need to check the plans with your local planning department – rules about the size you can legally extend by changed last year to three metres for terraced houses, four metres for detached. Garden studios also need a consultation with the council and your neighbours.

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    Fabulous wooden garden furniture


    After recently transforming our garden and building a lovely summer shelter, I'd like some fabulous wooden garden furniture as a finishing touch. Can you help?
    There are lots of bespoke furniture makers who would be happy to create something unique for you; find one on the Crafts Council website. One set of teak furniture I've always liked is the Sunset range by Stockton, from £881. It will last outside for years.

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    Where can I find Italianate planters?


    I have a Gothic-looking flat in a former civic building (high ceilings and ornate covings), and am looking for the kind of Italianate planters you see in stately homes. I want to create a mix of modern and classical in dark greys. Any ideas?
    As they're for indoors, where there could be issues with weight, fibreglass is your best option. Capital Garden Products produces some really very good historic pots, including the Grecian, from £149, and Small Urn, from £35. Finishes such as lead, aluminium, rust and bronze are very convincing.

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    The best material to replace the glass in a cast-iron canopy


    We have the remains of a lovely cast-iron canopy at the back of our house. Originally, it had red glass in it, which sadly has disintegrated. We have been unable to get replacement red glass – can we use Perspex instead?
    Acrylics like Perspex don't weather well, and some brands discolour and mist with prolonged exposure to daylight. Instead try standard safety glass and apply a colour filter to the dry side. Visit Johnson Window Films.

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    Pigeon protection


    We have the continued nuisance of pigeons settling on our terrace and windows, which drives us mad and makes our flat look a mess. We're not keen on having spikes everywhere, though – can you advise on any other options?
    It's no good achieving your perfect home then having the local flying rats deciding to move in, too! But don't panic, there are lots of solutions. Spikes are most obvious for ledges and come in a range of finishes (some of which can look quite subtle, so you might want to reconsider them), and netting is good for large areas and sections with architectural details. You can also buy decoy predator birds, such as hawks and owls. Apparently, they work well and, if you look around town, you'll see them in rail and bus stations (you need to move them every two weeks or the pigeons catch on). If large numbers of birds are settling, consider an electronic device that triggers predator sounds. Check out www.pestcontrolshop.co.uk to buy online.

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    Chinese lanterns


    Our outside space consists of a covered balcony area. It could do with a bit of colour and we fancied getting some traditional Chinese lanterns to hang up. The problem is, we've looked high and low, but have drawn a complete blank. Do you know of any shops or mail-order companies that stock them?
    Cox & Cox sells colourful Chinese paper lanterns in packs of 12. If you're after something a little more hard-wearing, Graham & Green has some fantastic fabric and wire ones, which will probably last much longer than the paper ones. They're available by post, too, so get ordering.

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