Alina W

overgrown rockery

There's no point in weedkilling now, because plants, including grass, are about to slow down for the winter and won't take up the weedkiller. Wait until at least March next year, when you will have to take up your bulbs - not ideal when they are in flower, but possible.

FIR TREE PRUNING and shaping, or not???

I suppose if you cut back the overhanging leylandii branches from next door it might encourage the new residents to get rid of it completely.

With your own leylandii, if you take off the top, even if you go well into brown wood, you will still get green growth coming up, so give that a try before worrying about removal - it sounds like they're serving a useful purpose for you.

What's the weather like in your area?

Frost here in N Yorks this morning - I hope that my fleeced fuchsias will be OK. As a matter of interest, what degree of frost do people find that a couple of layers of fleece will protect against? I'm always a bit wary of finding out by experiment.

car tire planters

As far as I know you can use standard gloss paint on them, and it lasts well. One of my relatives got some tyres when the fashion first arose in the 1970s, and they were still going strong when she died last year.

tree disease

There's no need to get rid of the horse chestnuts according to the RHS - the infection can stabilize and the tree last for years - have a look here.

Ash - if you have mountain ash your trees are safe. Otherwise, it is a notifiable disease; details of symptoms and who to contact here.

FIR TREE PRUNING and shaping, or not???

The leylandii can be topped with no issue, as it will grow a new top. The pine, however, won't, and will look rather ugly.

Overwintering Cannas

You would be better off keeping them in compost - as Geoff says, they don't want to be dried off, especially not with shoots visible. If the shoots were significantly above soil level then they would be better kept somewhere cool and light. Keep the compost just barely damp.

What's the weather like in your area?

Bright but very cold here in N Yorks, and very chilly last night.

Jo, I'm glad you have your heating back - this is not the weather to be without it!

Rose planting depth

Yes, the new advice is that the union should be below ground, for the reasons already mentioned and to encourage it to put out roots from the grafted plant.

Overwintering perennials

Snapdragons are perennials usually treated as annuals. You can get two years out of good plants by leaving them over winter (or cutting down by 1/3 if very tall) and cutting back to green growth in spring. The second year's plants can be as good as the first.

Osteospermums may survive in warm areas - trim lightly to tidy up and wait and see what happens in spring.

Gerberas - unless they are the new "hardy" variety will die over winter. Hardy ones may survive in a warm area.